


Evil Cleaning Fairies and Other Dubious Shenanigans

by CurlicueCal, LaughingStones



Series: Shadowbound AU [9]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Asexual Character, Blow Jobs, Bro PoV, Brothers, Comeplay, Cuddling, Demonstuck, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Family Relationships - Freeform, Fingering, First fights, Gamzee pov, Humanstuck, M/M, Multi, Negotiated kink, PTSD, Polyamory, Safewords, Soul Bond, THX GAMZEE, Unnegotiated Kink, dubious understanding of boundaries, explicit in ch3, friendly stalking, hey they figured out safewords good job boys!, magic as science, metaphysical empathy x2 combobob, metaphysical sex shenanigans idk how to tag these, shadows as daemons/familiars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:00:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13033620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CurlicueCal/pseuds/CurlicueCal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingStones/pseuds/LaughingStones
Summary: Gamzee and Dirk had a fight.Bro is HELPING.  Kind of.





	1. Chapter 1

“What the fuck,” Dirk said, voice hardly sounding sleep-groggy at all. Bro was quietly impressed. Kid had moved _fast_ when he woke up to Bro’s face six inches above his.

“Brought coffee,” Bro said, holding up the cardboard tray where three coffees, complete with all that fancy whipped cream shit, steamed gently.

“It’s six AM,” Dirk said, easing back down onto the mattress. Hal slid up the headboard and leaned beside him. “You’re meant to show up _late_ with Starbucks.”

“You know how much I hate living by other people's expectations,” Bro said blandly. “Rise and shine, sunshine.”

“This is why people don’t like you.”

Bro offered him a cup, adjusting Cal’s puppet from one shoulder to the other. The shadow slid across his back and down onto the bed, chilling near Dirk’s toes. “Of course they like me. I’m cute like a button. So, where’s the new boytoy?”

Maybe the kid didn't realize when his face went blank that hard and fast, it was as good a tell as if he'd hunched his shoulders and glared. He sipped his coffee a long minute before answering evasively, “You talked to Dave?”

“Well, you’re not doing much of a job keeping me up to date. I gotta look out for my little bros, right? Make sure they aren’t taken advantage of by scoundrels and fortune hunters.”

At the back of his head, Cal laughed. _Make sure they’re the hunters. Not the prey_.

Dirk rolled his eyes, still sipping coffee. “Thank you for your interest in my maidenhood.”

“I only accept the best for a Strider. You’re dodging the question.”

“Yeah, it’s this thing I do when I don’t want to answer something. Did you wake me up just to be nosy?”

Bro mimed a wounded heart. “I woke you up because I wanted to see my li’l bro. Also to be nosy.” He considered a second. “Too much?”

Dirk shrugged and rolled his eyes again, looking, if Bro was any judge, not particularly annoyed. “Don’t pull this shit on Dave.”

Bro shrugged. “Duh. Not a noob.” Dirk eyed him a little too knowingly and Bro changed the subject. “You up for a morning strife?”

“Coffee first,” Dirk said. “Also, get the hell out of my bedroom.”

By the time Dirk joined Bro in the kitchen a few minutes later, Bro had made himself at home at the table, sipping his own coffee, Cal sprawled out in the chair next to him. He’d given the third cup of coffee to Cal, since apparently Dirk’s new boyfriend wasn’t going to be drinking it. Cal couldn’t drink it either, but it was the thought that counted.

Dirk barely gave the puppet a glance, any more than the shadow spread across the table in front of it. He pulled out his own chair and sat down with his coffee, Hal slouching comfortably across the floor beside him. Dirk was dressed now, carefully groomed and shades in place, but Bro still noticed the tired circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping well. Or maybe like he’d been awakened unexpectedly at 6 AM; it was tricky to tell. 

“So,” Dirk said. “This is homey.”

“See, that’s why you want family around. I’m very domestic. Gonna dust your tchotchkes and put up some statement pieces and shit. Get this place _Better Homes and Gardens_ ready. Speaking of.” Bro looked pointedly around at the spotless, shining counters and appliances. “See your kitchen’s already spic and span. Been doing some spring cleaning?”

Dirk flinched. Wow, tell much? Kid’s pokerface was a mess this morning. Bro didn’t frown in concern, but only because his own pokerface was flawless.

Bro raised an eyebrow after a minute when Dirk still didn’t speak up. “ _Involuntary_ spring cleaning? Someone came into your house and put a gun to your head and made you sing duets with bluebirds while you scrubbed the floors? Gimme something to go on here. Give big bro a name and he’ll take care of them.”

Little ping of intention from his shadow-bro. Oh, hey. Amused, Bro braced himself against the sudden stretch and wrench of Cal slipping through the space between planes, a microsecond of his soul splintered disorientingly across time, the world gone alien and unreal around him. Just a flicker of dissociation, and then the puppet flashed back into sight, one chair over on Dirk’s lap, making him jerk in startlement.

Even with the lingering emotional disconnect, Bro couldn’t suppress an automatic huff of humor. Cal’s beaming head cocked against Dirk’s chest and one long cotton arm draped cloyingly over his shoulders. Dirk considered this development, blank-faced, before relenting into a wry trace of a smirk. Disentangling from the bro-hug, he patted the puppet on the cap.

Cal laughed, dark shape of him stretching out across the table as the puppet flopped forwards.

“Thanks for the sentiment,” Dirk told Bro dryly. “But I don’t need a rescue. The only villain here is sloth and slovenliness, which as you can see, has been conquered.”

“And yet you don’t seem in a very celebratory mood for that kinda victory.” Bro tilted his head. “Boyfriend not putting out?”

“And again with the unsettling fixation on my sex life.”

“I get bored.” 

“And then you make your boredom my problem; yes, I’ve noticed.” Dirk patted Cal again and moved him back to his own chair.

“As far as problems go it is not insubstantial,” Bro said solemnly. “You should distract me. Like with tales of the evil cleaning fairies who came and stole your man-candy away.”

Dirk blinked at him. “That makes it sound like they stole my dick. And I can assure you my dick is still in my possession.”

“Damn, what a relief. I can stop fretting myself to pieces over your potential magical sausage abduction and go back to asking about your sad face and your missing boyfriend.”

Dirk tried to stare him down.

Bro didn’t smirk, but Cal had a giggle fit over how dang cute that was. After a prolonged few minutes of deadpan staring, Dirk broke and looked away. Hal shifted restlessly, circling the kitchen.

“Had a fight. He’s staying over at his boyfriend’s dorm.”

“And the kitchen?”

Dirk frowned at the wall. Finally he sighed and slouched back in his chair. “I was an ass and forgot about that whole adult cleaning up after yourself schtick. He got pissed, I was a big brat and made everything worse, he wound up needing some space. It’s just for a few days.”

Bro examined his face for a few minutes and looked to where Hal was pacing restlessly up and down the linoleum again. “You hope.”

Dirk flinched and his shadow went still. “No, it’s. Karkat said he wasn’t upset anymore. He just… needs some space. Or something.”

Kid did not sound confident in that analysis. “Karkat’s the other boyfriend? The platonic one?”

“Dave really has been gossiping,” Dirk muttered. “Karkat’s fine. And he says Gamzee’s fine. And they’ve been together longer so I guess he would know.”

“Hm. Jealous?”

“ _No_ ,” Dirk said, quick enough to mean that probably he was, a little. “No. I just--” He looked back to Bro finally and aw, oh no, there was the sad-face. The special Dirk one that only really looked sad if you knew him well enough to read between the slump of his shoulders and the tense lines of his jaw. The way his shadow matched him, a little too still. “Pretty sure I really fucked this one up.”

Bro settled back and didn’t say anything, let the kid work it through out loud now that he was talking.

“Gamzee’s kind of… he doesn’t _get_ mad. Well, I mean, he gets _mad--_ he’s got this scary-ass shadow, he can sure as shit fuck things up when he doesn’t like the way things are falling out, but that’s the big shit. All the little shit just kinda rolls off him. Doesn’t bother him. Dude does not care. Or--he doesn’t think he’s _allowed_ to care.” Dirk ran a hand up into his hair, mirroring his shadow on the floor. One of these days Bro was really going to have to point out how close they started matching each other when they were upset. Not the most obvious tell, but still a tell.

Probably not the time, though.

Dirk’s hand had dropped to tap a restless beat on the table, Hal’s dark shadow fingers moving on folded shadow arms. “And then this time he actually blows up, gets all bent out of shape that the kitchen counters were a mess and I was using his cake pan to prop things up on my workbench. Which, I mean, fair. But I got snippy over him messing up my work, and then we started yelling, and it was just--a fight, right? I’m an asshole, I annoy people, I get in fights.” 

“Is that how that goes.”

“It’s a lifestyle. I learned from the best.”

Bro touched the brim of his hat in ironic acknowledgement.

“So we got in a fight and I didn’t even notice how weird that was until he stopped shouting right in the middle of things. Just went all wide-eyed and flinched back and shut down mid-word. Turned on his heel and went into his room. I tried to apologize when he came back out, but he was out the door before I even finished the sentence.”

“Kinda an overreaction.”

Dirk’s brows snapped together. “Maybe he doesn’t like being _yelled at._ ”

Bro shrugged and raised hands in surrender. “Just saying. Sounds like he did some yelling of his own. Takes two people to strife, not like you jumped him unarmed.”

“Mn,” Dirk said, not very agreeably.

“If you ask me--”

“--which nobody did,” Dirk pointed out.

“--that Karkat’s got it right. Dude started a fight because he wanted to. He stopped because he wanted to. He’ll come back when he wants to. Or he won’t. S’all on him; no point worrying about it.”

“Wow. Words of deep wisdom. I always feel comforted when given extremely fatalistic advice.”

“That’s because you know I’m right.” Bro reached over, leaning across Cal’s chair to ruffle Dirk’s spiky hair. “Seriously, li’l bro. You can’t control how other people feel. I’d know; I’ve tried. Real fucking annoying.” 

“Why yes you _were_ real fucking annoying.”

“Excuse you, I raised two teenagers; I deserve a fucking medal of honor for annoyance survival.”

 _So easy to get a reaction out of. So easy to rile. And you’re not supposed to. Because they sulk and get broken. Talk about fucking annoying,_ Cal huffed. 

“Thank you for your service to our country,” Dirk deadpanned. His shadow mimed a hand to his heart and went back to prowling the kitchen.

Bro suppressed a smile. At least the kid was sounding more cheerful now. He always did perk up when he had a target to snark at. Kind of familiar, really. Finishing his coffee he leaned back in his chair and tossed Dirk an idle salute. “Damn straight.” He put out a hand for Cal’s coffee, but Dirk got there before him. “Hey!”

“Nope,” Dirk said, pulling the paper cup close and hunkering over it. “Mine now. My house, my coffee.” 

“I changed my mind. I raised you all wrong.”

“Too late now, sucker.”

Bro narrowed his eyes behind his shades, Cal lighting up with anticipation. Bro lunged for the coffee in one fluid movement but Dirk was already knocking his chair back, kicking the table over as he went. Bro grinned. “Oh, like hell are you getting out of a strife now.”

Cal laughed his head off.

Looked like Dirk was going to have to clean his kitchen all over again.

\-----

Dirk’s boyfriend turned out to not be that hard to track down. Or follow.

Gamzee had taken a circuitous, meandering route after leaving work at the bakery, eventually leading to campus a good while after sunset. Dude did not seem to notice much going on around him, a point to his detriment in Bro's opinion. Or maybe he noticed _too_ much. He avoided crowds like it was a religion, crossing streets to dodge clumps of people on sidewalks and looking hella hunkered-down uncomfortable when he couldn’t. 

Bro nibbled his cookie, hanging well back, because he had promised to stop stalking people and he didn’t see how it could possibly count as stalking if no one even knew he was there. He sipped his now unfortunately cold bakery coffee. Dirk’s baker friend had seemed startled to see him come in twice in one day, but at least she didn’t try to get between him and his sugar fix. Girl made a mean gingersnap. Or maybe that was Gamzee? He’d been the one in the back, baking. Bro mentally awarded Dirk a conditional point for excellent taste in weird-ass jumpy boyfriends.

…’Course if the kid wasn't so fixated on dick he coulda taken the direct route and chased down the Crocker chick instead. Sexualities. Weird as fuck. Entertaining to watch, though.

Ahead, Gamzee approached one of the big boxy dorm buildings, angling in on it along a path that kept him to the brightest lit parts of the sidewalks. That was interesting, too, as was the sprawling black mass of his shadow around his feet now that they were out of the crowds. Bro wasn’t much of one for all that Freudian shadow-form shit, but the dude’s shadow-bro looked more like a randy lovecraftian tentacle monster than anything either human or animal.

On his shoulder and tucked mostly out of sight beneath his puppet, Cal was still sulking. He’d been murmuring a steady and somewhat contemptuous chant of _prey prey prey_ at the back of Bro’s mind while Gamzee skittered and dodged through crowds, right up until Bro got close enough to feel the vibe the guy’s shadow was putting off. At that point Cal’s chant had abruptly cut off into startled silence, to be replaced a moment later with an indignant mutter of _Oh. Predator._

 _Dude, get over it_ , Bro told his brother. Not that he didn't have his own thoughts on the matter. He knew up close and personal what kinds of things had to be printed into a soul to make it a suitable lens for that kind of shadow. Be hypocritical of him to get too fussy about it, but it did sure make him think.

_Make me. This is boring. Why the fuck do we care about the fuckface fucker._

_Because Dirk cares and we’re supposed to care about what our li’l bros care about. It’s like… good guardianship or some shit._

_You just want us to *know,*_ Cal said, not like disapproval. _Control freak._

_That, too. But look at it this way: if we don’t get his boytoy back in working order I’m gonna have to buy Dirk an *actual* sex toy to keep occupied with, and that might just get him to cut us off for good._

Bro’s attention sharpened as Gamzee suddenly stiffened, perking up, and went bouncing forward to greet a short guy who had just walked out of the building. Cal’s attention also sharpened as Gamzee bent down to kiss the guy on the forehead.

Grudge going straight out the window, Cal giggled. _Yesssss. Kiss him right on the face._

Bro rolled his eyes indulgently. _Yep, that is one filthy-platonic display of affection right there. Grade A cuddle porn right out in public and everything._

Cal ditched the sarcasm as he repeated _Right. Out. In public._

Leaving his shadow-bro to his gleeful intimacy perving, Bro eyed the cuddle-bunnies. They were, he noted, objectively cute. All the tension had gone right out of Gamzee as soon as he spotted his other boyfriend, and the little dude had a hand on Gamzee’s face, stroking his cheek almost like an afterthought to the discussion they were having.

They talked briefly, the boyfriend waving a hand as he went on, almost loud enough for Bro to hear all the way back here. Whatever the disagreement, Gamzee patted him on the shoulder, kissed him again, and nudged him firmly away, off down the sidewalk. The boyfriend rolled his eyes, gesturing broadly in exasperation, and then darted in to hug him before turning on his heel and plunging away down the sidewalk at a rapid march. 

Turning to watch him go, Gamzee stood still a minute. Bro watched his profile as his shoulders rose and fell in a sigh.

Wow, abandoned puppy much? Good thing Bro liked sweets so much or he’d be going into a diabetic coma from all the honey and sugar romance in the air. At the base of his skull, Cal purred agreement, although his attention was fading rapidly now that the tender display of vulnerability was past.

Eventually Gamzee turned away from the dorm and headed off down one of the sidewalks, back towards the center of campus. Okay, not turning in for the night after all. Bro tailed agreeably after him. 

It wasn’t late, by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly not for the college campus. As they got closer towards the campus green the sounds of music thumping through loudspeakers could be heard over a growing babble of excited voices. Bro expected that to send Gamzee scooting away in a different direction, and he did slow down, but kept drifting that way, head nodding to the beat. 

He halted at the edge of the green, a little distant from the crowd that had gathered on the grass for some performance. The band was lit by bright spotlights, white and gold, and colored lights swirled across the crowd, tinting their shadows pink and blue and purple and red. Gamzee hesitated a long moment before stepping forward, slipping up to the edge of the crowd. 

Proper stalker protocol dictated only approaching groups of people when you could blend in. Bro was not going to blend with this crowd. A not quite 40-year-old with pointy shades and a puppet on his shoulder actually blended easily surprisingly few places. Weird how that worked. Bro loitered over where the colored lights swept across the nearby student center, slouched at a table with his (cold) coffee and (excellent) cookies where he could pass for a visitor having a late evening snack.

It wasn’t a bad way to pass some time. Bro was less than impressed with the beats themselves, and a two person unit wasn’t much of a band, but the autotune rap the singer was belting was kinda hypnotic. Couldn’t understand a single word they were saying, but if they were going for ironic garbagepunk Bro gave them at least medium high marks. Once it became clear that Gamzee was not, in fact, going to break pattern and dive into the crowd, Bro settled back, exchanging little quips with Cal and enjoying the performance at least as much as he enjoyed the dregs of his coffee.

He was actually relaxed enough to be startled when the lights went out.

The hum of spotlights going dark was loud in the sudden quiet of the cut speakers, band clattering to a stop, the crowd still for a silent, startled breath before erupting into shouts and complaints. Bro hissed through his teeth, mind still reeling from the abrupt theft of Cal’s weight against it, the moonlit night and distant sidewalk lighting only enough to leave a faint, irritated string of profanity. 

On the other side of the green, somebody hopped up on a low wall and started yelling about the inherent harmfulness of demonic parasitism.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

A few of the undergraduates broke away to yell back, and one or two looked like they might be going to start a fight, but most just shifted restlessly, talking amongst themselves and getting out their cellphones and doing their best to ignore the obnoxious exhortations of the activist. The band’s lead drummer (this was a two person band with a _lead drummer_ ) started some kind of intense, noisy ruckus that was possibly intended to be a drum solo and a second later the singer joined in, sans either autotune or amplification, but still basically incoherent as he shouted into the crowd.

This seemed to satisfy most of the audience, who turned definitively away from the source of the interruption to jump up and down and shout back, waving their lit cellphones in the dark.

Belatedly, Bro remembered to look for Gamzee, glancing back to where he’d last seen him. There he was, little spot of light in the dark, gangly form curled over a small pocket flashlight he had pointed at his chest. The light caught his face as he shifted and Bro blinked. Kid did not look good. Eyes too wide, breathing too fast, hands shaking just a little. Someone else at the edge of the now rowdy crowd jostled against him and he snapped upright, free hand curling into a fist.

Bro started moving his direction before he could think twice about it.

Still had the look of fear on his face, but the tension drawn through him sought a target now, ready to lash out instead of huddle down and defend. Bro was familiar with the kind of force you could bring to bear when you were wound up and trapped, when the only way free was _through_.

Bro knew, intimately, what violence waiting to happen looked like. 

Wasn’t expecting to see it on Dirk’s jumpy piece of man-candy, but he could recognize an expression he’d seen in the mirror often enough. 

Gamzee’s shadow looped and coiled around him, darkest across his chest where the light was directly on him, faint and hard to see at the edges. As Bro got nearer the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Wow, that was some serious fucking mojo if he could feel the kid’s shadow at this light level. Some of the stragglers at the back of the crowd were starting to notice, too, turning around to frown in Gamzee’s direction, the creepy vibe and sense of impending violence only getting stronger as they did.

Gamzee was focused on them as Bro slid up from behind. Wasn't like he was trying to sneak, the ground just happened to be soft and there was plenty of covering noise.

“Hey,” Bro said, tapping the kid on the shoulder. Immediately he had to duck as Gamzee whipped around with a fist swinging for his head. Bro skipped back a couple steps --couldn’t shadowslip, not in this near-dark, but not like he actually needed to.

He raised his hands in a peace gesture. “Yo. Don’t think you want to do that.”

Kid didn’t answer right away, just stood there panting, fist still raised. His shadow licked up briefly across his face, translucent tendrils casting dark shapes over it in the dim. After a second, he shook himself and cast an agitated look around, eyes darting from Bro to the crowd, checking escape routes.

“Brother,” he said, “you wanna back the _fuck_ off me.” 

Bro kept his hands up. “Hey, I am back like Slim Shady. Check me over here. But I’m thinking you maybe wanna get some space before you go off like a cheap firework.”

Gamzee’s lips rippled back in a grimace or a snarl. He was still breathing way too hard, still coiled tight enough to snap, and he didn't answer. His hand was still white-knuckled around the flashlight pointed unwaveringly at his chest, like his only lifeline. Something about the look in his eyes as he tried to stare Bro down suggested not reluctance, but paralysis. Locked up, trying to face a threat that wasn’t even real. 

Bro was torn between wanting to roll his eyes and wanting to pat his head. He figured either was likely to get his arm bitten off. He settled for attempting to be reassuring, not really his strong point.

“Hey. You know there’s some better light sources like. Right over there.” He let that hang for a moment before adding, “We could go over there.”

Gamzee’s eyes followed his gesture and widened on the bright sidewalk lights past the edge of the green. He gave Bro an uncertain look, stepped wide around him, and took off for the lights like a host of predators were on his heels. Bro strolled casually after.

He slowed as he stepped into the pool of area lighting, Cal rushing back into his mind, all dark cuddling limbs and vexation. His bro was still reeling off a graphic list of suggestions for what could be done to fucking cocksuckers who touched his light sources.

 _Prolly not gonna be able to get away with that one,_ Bro commented on a particularly creative suggestion. _Even if it were anatomically possible._

 _They broke the rules. *First.* Now we break them._ _Sounds fair to me._

Bro couldn’t say he disagreed, so he let that one ride. He turned his attention to the previous matter, the one filling up the air with a shitload of creepy-ass ‘fuck off’ vibes. He did not intend to fuck off, so this might become relevant soon.

Gamzee’s shadow was spread around him in a dark tangling splash across the sidewalk and Gamzee’s flashlight was no longer in evidence. He looked up sharply as Bro stepped closer. There was still tension in his shoulders and the suspicious look he gave Bro, violence singing in the air from his shadow, but his hands were loose at his sides and he’d lost the coiled and ready to strike vibe. His weight was back on his heels rather than forward on his toes.

Interesting.

“No motherfucking offense, my brother,” he said, almost calmly, “and full gratitude all at me for the service of pointing out the motherfucking obvious, but what exactly do you want?”

Bro raised exactly one eyebrow. His face stayed blank, but after all he had Cal to giggle his silent amusement. Cute. Fucking. Kid.

Gamzee blinked and looked a little nonplussed.

“Nothing you’ve got,” Bro said mildly. “Can’t a guy just be community-minded?” Cal laughed out loud at that one.

Gamzee tilted his head just a little too far to one side, frowning. “Could be, sure enough, and yet I got this doubt up on me that it’s so.”

“Ouch, rude,” Bro said, but not particularly like he was offended. “And after all the times we’ve had together.”

Gamzee raised his eyebrows, looking cautiously amused, in a sardonic kind of way. “Man, me and those fuckin’ memory problems. They don’t stop from getting worse. Turning amnesiac, mind gone all outta whack, thought a brother was unknown cuz memory fell through a crack. Thought this meeting was strange, seems I'm the one who's deranged, we were _obviously_ friends until my brain lost its range.”

Okay, Bro’s charmed level was now at eleven-ty. Five minutes in and the kid was _rapping_ at him. _Sarcastically_. Dirk needed to marry this boy. Bro would arrange the wedding. He would buy them the pony to ride in on. Cal was practically purring at him. _So cute. Fucking *delicious.*_

Some element of the inappropriate glee must have slipped past Bro’s pokerface, because Gamzee stiffened a little, tension ramping back up. His shadow flicked out a tendril towards Bro, warning and threat, both at once. 

Cal snickered, but stayed settled in his favored spot on Bro’s shoulder at a reminding thought from Bro. They weren’t actually looking to start anything just now. Besides, Bro was supposed to be on good behavior. The _nicest_ stalker.

“Sick beats,” Bro commented. “You’ve got some flow, there.”

That got a flicker of a cautious smile. “Thanks,” Gamzee said, voice going almost absent as his eyes flickered over Bro, up and down with a little frown. His frown deepened a moment and then he blinked and went wide-eyed. “Fuck me sideways, you’re the other Strider. Dirk’s big bro.”

Bro blinked at him for a moment. “My reputation precedes me.” He patted the puppet-bro slung over his shoulder. “Look out, Cal. We’ve been rumbled.”

 _Oh no,_ Cal returned, in private joke. _No witnesses. Kill them all. Start a new life as far the fuck away as possible._

Gamzee’s cautious smile came back as he looked between Bro and the puppet, a puzzled little quirk to his lips. A lot of people found the puppet puzzling. Well, disconcerting, really. But the tension that had come back into his body was slowly draining away again, and he didn’t look half as rattled and jumpy as he had even a few minutes ago, so clearly Bro’s natural charm and people skills were working.

Cal snickered again.

“So…” Gamzee asked, still half-smiling, half-squinting at his shoulder. “What’s all with your shadow being up at that puppet?”

Bro didn’t blink, but Cal’s attention focused up on Gamzee like a trap opening. Cal hadn’t moved to call attention to himself, tucked along and under his puppet on Bro’s shoulder, and most people didn’t pick up on where Bro’s shadow-bro tended to get to.

He liked to lurk. Liked to wait. Liked to _surprise_ people. 

Kid had sharp eyes. Bro tilted his head, letting the silence stretch a bit. Well. He didn’t normally show his cards with strangers--not ‘til the end of the game. Although might be he could make an exception. After all: Dirk’s boyfriend. The kid was practically family.

Bro smiled and patted the puppet again. “What puppet? This here’s my best li’l bro.”

Gamzee frowned, but not in the completely bewildered way Bro was expecting. Didn’t take him all that long to get it, either. Bro could see the moment when he made the mental leap, and he didn’t even seem startled so much as interested. Kid just blinked and nodded.

“That’s him?” he asked. “He’s got his attachment on with a puppet like it’s all to being a live thing?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Gamzee’s head tilted, eyes narrowing like he was looking at something not quite visible. “But he’s still _yours_. ...Ain’t never seen a shadow bound _through_ a thing before. Didn’t even know it could up and be into its possibility. How’s something like that get to happening?”

Sharp eyes, quick mind. Oh, Bro really, really liked this one. Seriously. The wedding invitations were going in the mail. Dirk could be surprised, too. “Shenanigans,” he said mildly. 

Didn’t need to go hauling out that old story for strangers, how he’d spent so long as a kid with nothing but a puppet for his best lil bro, it might as well have been a second personality. A puppet-shaped hole in his mind. Fill ’er up. How all manner of organic shit could work its way down into an object, blood and sweat and tears; how the wrong sigils and the right frame of mind could open you right the fuck up for the power you’d been wanting. How you could hold a lit firecracker in your hand, if you really wanted to.

Didn’t need to go doing all manner of things. To be fair, Bro wound up doing most of them.

Damn but the urge to spring some of their really startling tricks, see if the kid would jump or stand his ground, hummed like a livewire between Bro and Cal, all sharp, excited tension. Bro suppressed it. He was supposed to be playing nice. 

_Playing boring,_ Cal said.

He wrapped one of Cal’s dangly cloth arms around his neck, miming an embrace. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

Gamzee snorted, rolling his eyes with a half grin. “I’m fucking legal; how much older I gotta be?”

“Wow, coming on strong.” Bro batted his eyes behind his shades, an invisible gesture that served primarily to amuse himself and Cal. “Sorry, kiddo, I don’t swing that way. Don’t swing any which way at all, to be honest. ‘Sides, Dirk would be all sad and shit if I started poaching.”

The amused lift of Gamzee’s eyebrows went away as he blinked rapidly. His eyes widened and just kept getting wider, until they were round and alarmed. “He--yeah, he'd--you know about--? Shit, did he motherfucking send you out at me, to get at telling me--” He swallowed. “He want me gone?” he asked in a much smaller voice.

“Hey, whoa.” Bro held up a hand and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Suddenly emotions. Why. Shit, he always hated this part. He hadn’t been great at it when Dirk and Dave were kids and he definitely wasn’t great at it with strangers. Cal was a cold little knot of displeasure at the back of his mind, absolutely not going to be any help. 

Sigh. 

“Okay, just. Take it back a notch there. Stop, rewind, reboot.” He considered Gamzee, who still mostly just looked miserable and distressed. “I am--okay, I’m hella not supposed to be speaking for Dirk on these types of things, but that kid definitely does not want you gone. More like the opposite, seriously, have you met the dude? He is clingy as hell when he gets attached.”

Gamzee’s eyes searched his face before the kid started, very cautiously, to relax. “Yeah?” he said, still watching Bro way too closely for signals he wasn't going to find. “He still mad?”

“Nah. Far as I can figure he stopped being mad as soon as he realized it was freaking you out.”

Gamzee blinked, frowned a little, and shook his head once. Reading him was so easy it was like he had a digital feed scrolling across his forehead. The kid didn’t quite get that, so he was pushing away the part of it that didn’t make sense and focusing on the bit he got. “Not mad,” he said softly. “Okay. Okay.”

Then he shook his head harder and met Bro’s gaze with narrowed, quizzical eyes. “So if you ain’t here to get on your speech for him, what all reason you got to you, bro?”

“Eh,” Bro said, like he hadn’t just been caught with his hand in the proverbial stalking jar, and kept his face blank. Cal started snickering. “Just curious.”

Gamzee titled his head slowly, showing way too much amusement in the arch of one eyebrow and the quirk of his lips. “Uh- _huh_ ,” he said and eyed Bro a moment longer.

Bro eyed him right back because damn if he was going to lose a staredown.

“Though I do make effort at it,” Gamzee said, “fucked if I can get to seeing any reason as a brother like yourself would be getting on his wander around this fine campus, normal-like.” He narrowed his eyes again as a realization seemed to hit him. “And even less that he should happen to be there to up and step in just when shit’s gone well awry.” He considered Bro again and shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets, sighing. “You were all to following me.”

Bro continued with the staring. It was working out well for him so far. Kind of. Kid did not seem impressed.

“So that’s all getting to the truth of it, like I’ve been hearing tell from Karkat.” Gamzee said. “You are one nosy motherfucker.”

Cal laughed, privately. _We are nosy like a plush. phallic. Puppet. Ready to invade bodies, minds, and souls._

“It’s been said,” is all Bro said, out loud. “So while I'm getting my nose all right up into your biz, what about you? You’ve been giving my li’l bro the cold shoulder a while now. You still mad?”

Gamzee’s eyes went wide again, startled this time. “Wha--no, I wasn't--I didn't get all to being _cold_ at him, just wanted to make as not being there so’s he could cool down.” He hunched his shoulders, looking down at the sprawled tangle of his shadow curling protectively around his feet and up his legs. “Shouldn't have gotten up in my rage at him in the first place, no fucking right,” he muttered. He looked back up at Bro. “Won’t do it again,” he said, like he needed to assure Bro.

“Okay, that’s fucking dumb.” Gamzee blinked and flinched a little at Bro’s words. Shit, that was probably one of those insensitive things to say, right? Too direct or whatever. You were meant to come at this kind of advice sideways, although fucked if Bro could see why. But, right, he was supposed to be working on this shit, and Gamzee looked on the threshold of doing something dramatic and emotional Bro really wasn’t going to be able to deal with, and also, seriously, if he fucked this up right now Dirk really _might_ not speak to him again. 

“Not dumb as in _you’re_ dumb,” he clarified. 

_If it acts like a mouse. And squeaks like a mouse,_ Cal commented internally. Bro shushed him.

“Look…”

What would his therapist say? Well, first of all, something really scathing about Bro’s propensity for getting himself into these situations by wont of overriding people’s stated preferences and also treating stalking like a normal social interaction. Seriously, that lady had a tongue like a needle. But also probably something about exercising his intellect and approaching his social problems logically.

Okay, so, logic. “You’ve got an overdose of faulty premises in what you just said there and until you get those straight your whole damn house of cards is going to keep falling down around your ears. It’s gonna be a card town apocalypse in here. Earthquakes every day. So much property damage. The property in this metaphor is your feelings.”

The look that got him was equal parts blankly bewildered and unsettled. Gamzee shifted his shoulders and didn't seem to have a response.

“Premise one,” Bro said helpfully, holding up Cal’s stuffed puppet hand to count with, “Dirk needs time to cool down. Which could have been true, but turns out it’s not, and also, surprise, he thinks you need time to cool down because you’re mad at him. So both of you fail at that one, and also communication and adequate relationship reconnaissance.”

He paused long enough for Gamzee to blink a few times and come out with, “Oh.”

“Premise two, Dirk’s mad that you’re mad. See above, he’s not. Premise three, everything will be better if you stop getting mad. Kid,” Bro cocked his head, pausing to examine him. “I don’t know what kind of bee you’ve got in your bonnet on that topic, but from where I’m standing that is a fucking recipe for disaster. That is a recipe for a whole damn cutesy headcovering filled with bees and nobody can live like that forever.” His eyes flicked down to the dark mass of shadow still tangling possessively around Gamzee’s legs, twisting the energy of the air into tension. Bro raised an eyebrow, looking back at Gamzee. “Don’t think that other half of yours would stand for it, for one thing.”

Gamzee glanced down after him and lifted a shoulder in response. “When he gets up in his fury, got enough for both of us by far,” he murmured. Not exactly a rebuttal, but not acceptance either.

“Displacement’s a bitch,” Bro said. Gamzee continued to look puzzled and sort of miserably stubborn. Bro sighed and Cal grumbled. People were hard. Did he actually need to be doing this right now? Okay, yes, probably. Dirk was tucked away in his apartment being all sad and off his game, and Gamzee was wandering around at night like a lost, slightly rabid puppy, also being sad and off his game, and apparently, somehow, Bro had gotten himself enough involved to be at least a little responsible for straightening shit out.

Approach it like a logic puzzle, he reminded himself. “What exactly do you think is going to happen if you get mad?”

Shoulders still hunched, Gamzee winced, head ducking lower. “Bad shit,” he mumbled, and then at Bro’s impatient head tilt went on, “Getting mad just gets folks all up in their mad at you. Start a fire you better motherfucking expect to get burned.”

“Hm. Dirk did get mad. You think he’d take a torch to you? Shouldn’t ought to be dating him if he’d do that.”

That brought his head up a little, at least, frowning bewildered at Bro. “It’s a motherfucking metaphor, bro.”

Cal snickered. Bro rolled his eyes behind his shades. “Sorry if this allegory is getting too deep for you. Lemme try plainer words. You think Dirk’s gonna hurt you? Or you just don’t think he’s up to dealing with some temper?”

Eyes a little too wide again, Gamzee shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. “Dunno,” he said.

Well, that was a frustratingly unhelpful response. Bro wrestled, briefly, with the desire to keep prodding at the issue until it cracked open and started responding to logic. But… just because that was how things _should_ work didn’t mean that was how things _did_ work, and he’d be the irrational one to insist the world match up to his preferences. Or so his therapist kept pointing out. Bluh.

_“You don’t have to agree with other people’s emotional perceptions to accept them as valid, Derrick.”_

Double bluh.

Rubbing under the edge of his shades, Bro blew out a breath and eyed Gamzee. The kid looked miserable and defensive and still not a little frazzled, his shadow still twisting in restless, possessive coils around him. “...Guess you’ve had a rough night, huh?”

Gamzee gave him a startled look and shrugged one shoulder. “Ain’t been so bad, in honesty,” he said, eyes skating off towards the still dark commons where the band played loudspeaker-less to the accompaniment of a rowdy crowd. “Just this last bit.”

“The bit where you just about took a chunk out of anyone that got in striking distance?” Okay. Bro was not very good at not poking.

Now the forlorn hunch turned sulky. “The bit where some crazy-ass fuckers took out the lights and then I got this nosy motherfucker been all to poking through my business unasked.”

“I’m considerate like that,” Bro said. “‘Sides, you looked like you were about to wreck shit. Thought it might be better if you got that pointed where it wouldn’t do any damage.”

Gamzee twitched his shoulders and made a noise that was half huff and half sigh. “Yeah,” he admitted, eyes flickering away again.

“Aw, hey, don’t get like that. I’ve got nothing but appreciation for a good shit wrecking. Fucking art, my friend.”

 _And we. Are the master painters,_ Cal added.

Gamzee kind of squinted at Bro and seemed uncertain what to say.

Bro wiggled his eyebrows.

Gamzee blinked a few times and relaxed a bit, his own eyebrows quirking into dry amusement. “So now you’ve been to tracking me down and got your nosy on good and solid, what all you up and planning next? Can’t be just to hanging around on a sidewalk all night.”

“You don’t know me. Could be sidewalks are my favorite thing.” Gamzee gave him a skeptical look and Bro shrugged. “Well. Up to you, but guess I oughta be the gentleman I ain’t and walk you home or some shit. Get you safely tucked away for the night.”

Gamzee shrugged and glanced down the sidewalk towards the building his boyfriend had come out of. He opened his mouth, stopped short, and turned back to stare at Bro. “You said--he really ain’t mad?”

Oh. Oh now this was interesting. “Nope,” Bro said, casual and matter of fact as he could make it. And then because he couldn’t help himself, “More like worrying himself in circles plotting out how to fix shit. Kid’s way dumb that way.”

That got him an actual frown. “Dirk’s got more motherfucking smarts all to him than anybody needs. He ain’t dumb,” Gamzee said sternly.

Bro fought down the urge to beam at him. “Yep. So smart he comes back around the other side to being an idiot sometimes. That’s my li’l bro. You gonna go back and cut the stupidity cycle short?”

Eyes widening, Gamzee stared down at his feet, nibbling on his lip. He stood still for a long few minutes, struggling with his inner demons or whatever, before finally looking up and nodding, still edgy and anxious, but determined. “Figure I will, yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the second part would be done, but we decided it needed porn :33


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just kidding now there's 3 chapters

Gamzee was well up in his uncertainty by the time they reached home--this home, home as he shared with Dirk and hoped to keep doing, if Dirk’s bro was all to be telling the truth of things. He wanted to be all lingering at the foot of the walk, dawdling his way up to the door, but Dirk’s bro had a right brisk step and Gamzee had no wish to get to letting him ahead, no notion what he might get up in that weird head of his to be saying to Dirk.

Which was the only motherfucking reason Gamzee was first through the door when he'd rather chill out on the porch a while nerving himself up. Kurloz swept in not even a heartbeat after him, swirling out into the main room in a dark tide like to claim the space for his own again. Not even a flicker of concern to him, of course; he'd barely seen reason for the fight in the first place, and seen less reason that they shouldn’t stay and finish it. He gave no credence to the thought Dirk might still be mad. 

Gamzee took two steps in after Kurloz, half carried on that wave of surety, and then faltered on the carpet, fingers fidgeting with one worn strap of his backpack.

Dirk was. Dirk was right the fuck there. Looking around from his workbench, face that usual locked-away blank, just the faintest rising quirk of his eyebrows to show his surprise, but the feel of him, of Hal, reached out across the room and struck Gamzee hard.

Pleasure, relief, doubt. A thread of defensiveness. Hal didn’t move from his spot beside Dirk, and neither did Dirk, caught staring and speechless and broadcasting a turmoil of emotion. None of which was anger.

So Dirk’s bro was all at telling the truth about that, at least. 

Ought to be it made things easy, but it looked instead that they were all gonna be at standing here staring and silent. Gamzee surely found no words coming easy to him. His eyes snagged on the strip of bare counter behind Dirk--brother went and cleaned it?--and that just froze Gamzee harder, filled him up with all manner of painful, complicated emotions he couldn’t make start at untangling.

No noise from behind, but the grating shiver of the puppet-bound shadow coming up at Gamzee’s back was warning enough, Kurloz tensing irritably and drawing closer in care. Dirk’s attention flicked past Gamzee’s shoulder, and his face did something… strange. All kinda squinching up at the brow and going tight around the jaw.

Hal put a shadow hand to his head. _God damn it, Bro._

“Hey, kiddo,” the man himself said, “check out what I snagged from the lost and found.”

Gamzee watched in fascination as Dirk’s face worked through a series of tiny, aborted flickers of expression, all in line with that powerful aggravation coming off Hal, before they both settled back out to something bland. 

“Is it, by chance, something that doesn’t belong to you?” Dirk’s voice was dry and sharp, but he paused right after, eyes flicking back to Gamzee, and a faint flush of color crept across his cheeks.

The puppet-shadow snickered and cooed in his brother’s ear. 

“Well, if you just leave it lying around you never know who might come strolling by and snatch it up,” Dirk’s bro said, lifting one of the puppet’s hands to his heart. “Lucky you, I’m such a good Samaritan. Returning him in the original packaging and everything.”

“I mean,” Gamzee said, raising an eyebrow his way, “in all most honest truth I ain't never come _outta_ the original packaging, but like, most folks like the clothes to be all on over it, y’know?”

Bro pointed two fingers at Dirk. “Marry this kid,” he said, continuing past them both to go poke his head into the fridge.

Gamzee stared after him, eyes widening like to fall out his head. That was… no sort of joke as he was used to hear. Had his chest going all warm and weird of a sudden, that someone would even think him worth joking at for family. He blinked, flicked a look quick at Dirk, who had a hand pressed over his shades, color gone even brighter. Not thrilled, sure, but not horrified in any measure either. 

Dirk looked back to Gamzee, hand still lingering to half hide his face. “Uh. Hey. Sorry in advance about my brother. Or more like retroactive, I guess? Um… would you like me to...” Dirk looked around the room, arm waving in a vague gesture that might have indicated taking something away. His brother. The conversation. Himself?

Gamzee blinked at him and chose to up and ignore that til he knew what he was answering. “Can't get to apologizing for shit you had no part in, bro. And he was up and swearing as you had no say in him all tracking me the fuck down this day, dogging my heels and shit.” He threw an amused look where Bro had vanished, out of sight in the kitchen.

Dirk’s slow turn towards the kitchenette was decidedly less amused. More to being straight up angry if Hal’s low hiss and tensing energy was anything to go by.

Bro rose slowly into view over the counter, shutting the fridge door reluctant-like. His face was even blanker than Dirk’s got to being. The blank-faced staredown might could have been funny, maybe, if you couldn’t feel the tense, roiling energy of two different shadows; if you weren't all waiting for the yelling to up and start. Gamzee’s shoulders pulled in all on their own and he glanced over at the closed door to his own room. Family fights were the motherfucking worst, vicious and mean…

“Sorry,” Bro said suddenly, into the silence. “Fucked up.”

Dirk eyed him a moment longer, and then breathed out slowly through his nose. “...Okay.” He huffed and actually tilted up a hint of a smile. “You’ve got to quit doing that. You’re blackening the Strider name.”

 _He can’t help it,_ Hal commented, amused for all he didn’t really feel all the way not mad anymore. _Fucking shit up is the Strider way._

“In my defense,” Bro said, “I wasn’t actually planning to do a seek-and-retrieve mission. It just turned out that way.”

Tension slipping from his shoulders, Gamzee looked from one to the other, let out a silent breath in relief. Seemed rightly odd that they'd settle so easy, but then it was full odd to see a man like Bro apologize. And mean it, for a wonder.

He finally let his backpack slide down to his elbows, swung it to the floor. If Dirk wasn't mad, and no fights were about to get had, it was safe to set it down, let it bide here.

“Yeah, I’m not even going to ask,” Dirk said. He glanced back towards Gamzee, and that little jump of uneasiness flickered out through Hal’s energy again. “Seriously, though. Say the word and I’ll run him right out the door. You don’t have to deal with his shit if he’s bugging you.”

Despite that Dirk was looking right at him, it took Gamzee a moment to get his surety on that Dirk wasn’t talking about him. 

_He’s this annoying with everyone,_ Hal added, sidling a few steps closer.

Gamzee split his startled look between Hal and Dirk, then shrugged. “Ain’t got no issues up at him. Weird-ass motherfucker as he is, fits in just fine here.”

“Rude,” Bro said, almost in sync with Hal.

Dirk smiled just the tiniest bit. “Guilty as charged. ...Thanks for putting up with us.” The last bit wavered at the end, between statement and question.

That was no sort of thing as ought to get said at Gamzee, and weird enough he kinda wanted to edge backwards away from it. Skitter out from under. He twitched, shook his head like to brush that away, giving Dirk a wide-eyed look. “No motherfucking putting up with on my part. You’re the one been--I shouldn’t’ve--” Gamzee’s eyes flicked to Bro, and he huffed before firmly turning back to Dirk. “I’m real sorry, bro. Had no right to get all on you over that shit.”

Bro made a groaning noise in the background. Gamzee didn’t have time nor giving of shits to spare for that, though, because Dirk had gone very, very still, very blank, and Hal’s energy had flared wide and surprised and then folded right in on itself. Fuck.

Kurloz’s attention drew up sharp in Gamzee’s head, his tendrils abandoning their lazy explorations to swirl back into a darker mass around Gamzee’s feet. Coiled. Watchful. Fascinated and provoked, like his brother always got when Hal locked himself away like this, when Dirk froze like something wounded or ready to strike.

In the quiet that stretched out tense and ready to snap, Gamzee couldn’t stop from picking at that last lingering echo of emotion Hal had left in the air-- something very like outrage. No notion what all that he'd said was so wrong, but no doubt that it had been. Maybe the reminder of the fight? Bro had said as Dirk wasn't mad, but here was clear proof that wasn't so.

Could be he shouldn't have set his backpack down just yet.

Kurloz twined about his ankles and hummed comfort, dark little shards of melody to remake the tension in the air into something their own. _Our ground, little brother. If we say it so. Ain’t on them to deny us whatsoever we please._

Fuck, but Dirk was hard to read when Hal went all closed away like this, and Gamzee didn’t have any kind of practice at working out what people might be thinking without all hearing where their shadows’ thoughts were at. 

_Could have him out. Pull him open to look inside, and you know he’d sing so sweet for us, you’ve seen it._

_No,_ Gamzee told him, but the temptation was there, and the not-knowing a growing seed of fear, and he shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have come here, should leave before he had to find out. Except after all it took to come here tonight, his feet didn't want to move, were stuck in place. 

The silence was upright painful by the time Dirk finally got to be breaking it. “The last guy I dated never told me when anything was wrong.” Dirk was still really, really blank, really still, muscles all tight and stiff through his shoulders like the words were a challenge to get out. “I guess I didn’t exactly make it easy for him to? But I just. I don’t actually know what you’re thinking if you don’t tell me. And it’s not like. I like fights. Exactly. But if you get mad, I know you’re telling me that you’re mad. And that’s. Nice.”

Felt like Gamzee got his stare on for a good five minutes, trying to turn that concept all whichways to get it to fit in his head. Couldn't quite seem to make it go. “Nice?” he said, kinda faint and bewildered.

Dirk shrugged, awkwardly. Made a vague confirming noise. “But I shouldn’t have yelled at you; I know you don’t like that. Sorry. You can tell me to cut that shit out too. Or I’ll try harder about it.”

“That's not--no, but,” Gamzee stopped, stared, tried again. “No kind of fairness at the thing if you're all telling at me as I should get on my yell at you, but you can't be to yelling back? Nah, bro, let's just--” his turn to shrug, “--not get mad. Yeah?”

Dirk huffed a little breath. Might’ve been annoyance, but the corners of his lips were turning up just the littlest bit, and his shoulders had lost some of that stiffness when next he spoke. “Well, I wasn’t suggesting I wouldn’t get snippy back at you. Just that I could probably do it at a lower volume.” He looked at Gamzee for a minute, expression just a tiny bit wry. “Bro. I’m a huge pain in the ass. We’re gonna get mad. Don’t even try to pretend I couldn’t piss you off. That is my special talent.”

Gamzee hunched, stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets. “Only managed it once so far,” he muttered. The brother was right, though, once in four months meant it wasn't going to be any unheard of thing like Gamzee’d have preference. He huffed reluctant concession, frowned absent down at Kurloz, twining lazy loops around Gamzee’s feet and out towards Hal.

“You won't yell?” he said very soft, looking up at Dirk again.

“Cross my heart,” Dirk said, and the words were flippant, but the tone was equally soft. 

An eager little coo caught Gamzee’s attention from back in the kitchen, the puppet-shadow purring hungry commentary into his brother’s ear. The brother himself was blank-faced, but made no pretense of not getting his eavesdrop on.

Before Gamzee could up and figure if he had any thoughts on the matter, for listeners or against, he was distracted by Hal’s presence curling abruptly open into his mind again.

 _If we fuck it up,_ Hal said, and the feel of him was all strange affection and uneasy, unreadable, fierce emotion, layered over with flippancy. _Which we will, let’s be real, have you even met us that is what we *do.* When we fuck it up, tell that pounce-happy shadow of yours he’d better do some serious shit about it already. You hear me, curly? Know you’d enjoy setting us straight._

 _As I well and truly motherfucking will_ , Kurloz rumbled in Gamzee’s mind, smug and contented agreement. A surge of intent, and he swept out across the carpet, shadow tendrils dividing to curve wide around either side of Dirk and Hal, bracketing them against the workbench. Gamzee smiled at his brother’s curl of pleasure when they stood their ground and didn’t flinch away, at the low, hungry buzz of _mine mine mine, mine to hold and keep, shatter and make whole, punish or partake and savor, as I choose._ Good to know his brother still had that weight of possessive regard at the both of them, near enough to affection as he'd ever get.

Dirk’s head tilted down towards the enclosing shadow strands. His attention came back to Gamzee with just that hint of a smile at the edge of his lips again, soft and almost vulnerable. “Sound like a plan?”

Ducking his head, Gamzee sent back a bashful smile and shrugged. “That it surely motherfucking does, bro.”

 _Now kiss,_ the other brother’s puppet shadow urged from somewhere behind.

And Gamzee, all relief and happiness to be welcomed back in so friendly and sweet, guard down as he spoke equal parts with Dirk and his shadow-bro--Gamzee heard that and snorted out loud, shaking his head. Still smiling a little, cast a glance at the brother lurking silent and expressionless in the kitchen. The smile froze on his face when he realized.

Bro’s blank-ass face stayed blank. No clue what thoughts he was thinking. Dirk, looking increasingly puzzled, turned back to see what Gamzee was staring at, and then fell uncertainly still. The silent staredown stretched uncomfortably.

 _Gamzee, what…?_ Hal murmured, shifting in Kurloz’s encirclement, but Gamzee had no time nor attention for him, not when Bro stood there all deadly quiet in his judgment.

“Sorry,” Gamzee tried. Some hope still the brother hadn’t clued to what was being spoke of. Less hope an apology might soothe, but worth the attempt. 

Had he put piece and piece together? Was he mad?

The silence stretched further and Gamzee twisted his fingers together.

 _BOO!_ the other shadow shouted, and Gamzee jumped pretty near to climbing the ceiling. The brother’s shadow fell into a fit of hysterical giggling. Bro maintained his deadpan.

Heart thumping, Gamzee landed with his hands already fisting in automatic aggression or defense. The panic of earlier that night came flooding back with the adrenaline and he scrabbled mentally for his brother, half expecting to find him gone again (taken, stolen, cut off) and hella relieved when he twined tight and protective at the back of Gamzee’s head, clear and present and in no way pleased.

 _They motherfucking DARE_ , Kurloz snarled, and flared out into a pool of darkness that covered half the floor, flowing up onto the counter between living room and kitchen. Not quite lunging for Bro’s shadow, not while Gamzee still wanted the option to run, but making wholly clear it was a favored possibility.

Dirk and Hal stood frozen in a perfect, clear circle of untouched space, chair tipped over, flanked on all sides by vast swathes of furious dark. Further past them, unseen, but not unheard, the puppet shadow still snickered. _Oh,_ he said, sounding positively _delighted_ in the midst of the suddenly seething and crawling energy of the room, _They want. To come and *play.*_

Dirk turned slowly on his brother. “What. The fuck. Did you _do_.”

Bro raised his hands in mild protest, slouching back against the kitchen wall with apparent nonchalance. His hidden shadow still radiated that laughing, predatory eagerness from beneath the puppet, though it was fading into something sulky under Dirk’s glare. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

Gamzee’s eyes narrowed on him. No straight lie, yet it was far and off from honesty, and Gamzee appreciated it not at fucking all. Could’ve held his brother back from that jumpscare easy as not. Could’ve done _any all manner of motherfucking things--_ Gamzee caught the breath that had gone short, steadied himself in the comforting sing-song purr of his brother around him, velvet and claws.

Hal’s energy churned, sharp and angry. Dirk opened his mouth. “ _Bro--_ ”

“Your boy’s just having a little chat with Cal here,” Bro added, still the picture of chill as he patted the puppet on his shoulder. “Apparently. Didn’t know he could do that.”

Must have been a barb Gamzee couldn’t spot shape of in that, because Dirk actually shrank down half an inch before squaring up again. “Didn’t know _you_ were going to take it into your head to go sticking your nose in. We’re all living with surprises today. Fucking deal. What did you _do_?”

Bro shrugged, but looked maybe a little uncomfortable. “Just… surprised him a little. Cal wanted to see what he’d do.” 

Dirk stared him down. Was kinda… kinda _nice_ , Gamzee figured, to have him there stepping in and all ready to throw down on his behalf. Steadied something shaky-uncertain in his core, still wobbling from the fear of the evening.

Bro’s eyes were invisible behind those shades, but he turned his head a little towards Gamzee. “Sorry?”

 _But not really,_ Cal added, laughing.

Gamzee snorted, sharp and sarcastic. “Uh-huh.” His blood still sped too fast in his veins to make pretense of belief. He kept his eyes narrow on Bro, wary, watchful for the next trick. “Sure, brother.”

Bro pinched his brows together and looked properly thrown for the first time since Gamzee’d met him. “Huh. Well. Guess I’m not, but it’s nice of me to say it, right? Dunno what to do about the other bits. It was funny, we’re not sorry, but we won’t do it again. How’s that?”

 _Oh my fucking god,_ Hal muttered.

Gamzee huffed and lifted a shoulder in acknowledgement. Wasn't like he had the leverage for any kind of motherfucking bargaining. “Good enough as I'm like to get,” he sighed. Fuck but it was early in the night to be so weary and done. Didn’t want to have this particular fight right this moment, but at least the brother couldn’t be to throwing him out or any such shit. Could he? “That all the commotion you're fixing to make on me and my shadow-listening? Or you got more to up and come?”

“What kind of commotion you used to getting on this biz?” Bro asked, attention uncomfortable-knowing and too sharp. He went on before Gamzee could even think of getting his answer on. “Nah, we’re chill over here. Figure listening in’s more likely to be your hardship than mine.” Cal snickered again and Gamzee barely kept back a twitch. 

_Little would they like what kind of HARDSHIP we can be,_ Kurloz murmured, but his killing temper was receding and he felt more amused than anything. The briar-tangle sprawl of him slipped back on the floor from the counter, shadow spikes and thorns turning back to his usual curls and loops as the threatening weight of his rage eased off. Gamzee ran a thumb absently over one coil where it still curled all the way up his arm. Soothing, or being soothed, but always so much steadier together.

“Don’t much like the part where I didn’t know, though,” Bro added. He turned his attention back to Dirk, voice going a thread more serious. “How about you? You cool on this? Doesn’t really seem like your thing.”

Dirk, looking up from righting his chair, looked a little frozen. “It’s… fine. It’s--we worked it out.”

 _Is that what we’re calling it now,_ Hal commented, and Dirk actually blushed.

Bro winged an eyebrow up. “’Xactly how intensive a workout was this working it out?”

Dirk’s blush cranked it up another couple of notches. “Shut up. That is not what I’m talking about. And it’s none of your business anyway.”

Damn, but that face all flushed and flustered was a fair notable distraction. Hella cute, and brought a whole set of wicked thoughts to mind as had no wish to give way. After a moment, Gamzee kicked them back with a shake of his head.

“Nah, brother, that whole piece of things got itself at happening later,” he explained to Bro. “Dirk had me all testing out this exposure therapy shit, worked just fine.” He gave Dirk a pleased, kinda proud look. Was fucking cool to be dating someone so straight up clever.

Cal started laughing again and Bro laced his fingers under his chin and gave Dirk raised eyebrows.

Dirk pointed a finger at his brother. “No.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it,” Dirk grumbled.

“Guess you’d have to ask your boy about that,” Bro said, and pushed off the wall to wander back out into the living room, swinging Cal’s puppet to his other shoulder as he went. “If you’re working on exposure therapy, might wanna do something ‘bout how twitchy he gets in crowds. Or the thing where the lights go off.” He gave Gamzee a thumbs up as he skirted Kurloz, heading for the couch, Gamzee turning a bit to track as Bro went behind him. “Thought we were gonna see a proper throwdown for a bit there.”

Dirk stiffened, turning towards Gamzee. “Wait, what?”

Blinking at him, Gamzee shrugged a little uncomfortably. “Concert on the commons,” he explained. “Motherfucking shadowless got to the lights so’s they could get on their dumbass preach and hound us on the topic.” 

Hal hissed. _Fuckers_.

“And you--” Dirk paused, attention darting from Gamzee to Bro and back, like he was reconsidering what all he wanted to say. Stepping away from the workbench, he moved a little closer to Gamzee, Kurloz parting for him as he came. “You okay?” was all Dirk said, finally, hesitating just at arm’s length. Hal lingered beside him.

“Yeah,” Gamzee said, breath coming short to have him so near, close enough to touch if a brother up and dared. “Yeah, uh.” He scrabbled after motherfucking words, kicked them off his stumbling tongue. “Your bro was all pointing me at the space as was still lit. Did me the kindness of a boot to my dumb ass to get me moving.”

Dirk was watching him with a little kink in his brow, this intense kind of look like maybe he saw between the lines of what Gamzee was saying. Made Gamzee feel strange, how sharp he watched him, like even through the shades Dirk was stripping him down ‘til there was nothing between them. Dirk rocked a bit in place, hands lifting up and drawing back again, closing on air, Hal an uncertain tangle of fierce emotion beside him, and Gamzee couldn’t breathe nor move for the strength of it.

“If you’re waiting for someone to bang you together like Barbie dolls it ain’t going to be me,” Bro said, not looking up from where he was rifling through their game collection. “Seriously li’l bro, even _I_ can tell he wants a hug already. How are you so bad at this?”

Dirk sucked in a breath, looking momentarily nothing but furiously indignant. He glared at the top of his brother’s cap for long seconds before turning back to Gamzee, expression changing as he searched his face. Gamzee blinked back, heart beating fast and hungry. Dirk’s face set almost hilariously determined. Still wordless and stiff, still pointedly ignoring his bro, he reached out, grabbed the front of Gamzee’s shirt, and hauled him close.

Gamzee figured if he maybe kinda melted against Dirk at that point, weren't no one could fairly blame him. His cheek pressed against Dirk’s as their arms came around each other tight and Gamzee sighed, all peaceful and relieved as the resonance washed in. Too long, and he hadn’t felt Dirk slotting into place like this, plucking at all the strings of his soul ‘til they sang back harmonies, and he’d thought he might have wrecked it, couldn’t come back, but here was Dirk singing in his head, relief and affection and uncertainty to match and under it all that familiar, unstoppable feel of drive set all in counterpoint to iron will.

“Missed you,” Gamzee mumbled into Dirk’s jaw.

Dirk’s hands tightened on his back. “Yeah,” he said soft, and nuzzled in through Gamzee’s hair, almost like hiding. “Sorry.”

Caught Gamzee’s breath up in his throat to hear it said _again_ , genuine and unbidden. Made him wonder what all sort of miracle brother he'd taken up with that'd shoulder blame instead of laying it, and make amends all willing. Truthfully it sparked up a flicker of unease, too, in case later he'd be less pleased to have made admission of guilt--but Gamzee pushed that back, ignored it. Wasn't Dirk’s style, not worth thinking on.

“Me too,” he murmured, and squeezed Dirk a little, comforting. “Thanks for cleaning the--” he started, eyes on the bare counter between living room and kitchen, before his gaze slipped beyond it and he trailed off staring. “...The counter,” he finished, a little faintly. “Motherfuck, bro, did you--” he let go of Dirk and stepped away, drawn over to the kitchen like some kinda weirdass magnet. Stove scrubbed down, sink empty, counters gleaming like they hadn’t even when he moved in. His eyes dropped to the floor and even the fucking linoleum shone.

Eyes round, he turned and stared at Dirk, who hunched, looking vaguely embarrassed. “You washed the _floor_ ,” Gamzee said, and Dirk’s shoulders rose further. Dirk’s bro’s shadow cooed and giggled at them, but Gamzee didn’t have a lick of time for him. “Brother, you cleaned my whole kitchen?”

Dirk’s head turned from where he’d been examining the wall something fierce and he looked at Gamzee like his whole attention had been caught. “Uh. Yeah.” He shifted. “That okay?”

Gamzee’s jaw dropped and fuck if he could find any words that motherfucking suited, so he made do with action, reaching Dirk in a few long strides to kiss the hell out of him. Dirk all but melted into him, fingers curling at his hips, resonance washing back through, relief and shy, startled pleasure. Gamzee’s own fingers buzzed with the brush of Hal pressing in along Dirk’s back, almost close enough to slide from Dirk onto Gamzee. Kurloz swept in to wrap around them on the floor, penning in Dirk and Hal again, holding them close for Gamzee to make free with.

 _Cute,_ Cal commented from the side. _But getting boring. No one told them to initiate. A fucking dick delivery. Tell them to go back to the tender shit._

Like Gamzee up and gave any kind of a fuck what anyone but Dirk and Hal thought on this. He slid a hand down to Dirk’s waist, nudged up under his tank to bare skin and kept kissing him. Dirk made a dazed, desperate little noise and clung harder to Gamzee’s hips, fingers clutching and then uncurling repeatedly to soothe where they had grabbed too hard. Was worth a touch of pain to see Dirk already all up and losing track of himself. Gamzee hummed all contented and hungry against him, running a hand farther up across smooth warm muscle, over abs and up his ribs. Motherfucking intoxicating, all that sexiness that was Gamzee’s to touch as he liked, now.

“So, you putting on a show here?” Dirk’s Bro said, and Dirk jerked back out of Gamzee’s hands so fast he almost stumbled into Kurloz. His bro went on like he hadn’t noticed. “Cuz I gotta tell you, I think I am not the audience. And I left all my cameras at home.”

Hal said some very nasty words.

Gamzee shot Bro a glower fit to rival any of Karkat’s, in no way getting his appreciation on for the blatant cockblocking. How was that motherfucking right for a good bro to be doing, anyway? Oughta be glad for his brother getting something good, Gamzee was pretty sure.

Dirk managed to look composed again pretty fast, despite all how his face was tinged red up to his ears and his lips still looked appealingly kiss-swollen and bitable. “If you don’t want to see something you could, you know. Leave. Seeing as I don’t think you were ever actually invited.”

“Aw, but I thought we were having family bonding time.”

Dirk lifted an eyebrow. “Nope. Not even a little. And you’re still in trouble for being a big, invasive meddler.”

“Wow, ungrateful much.” Bro turned a solemn face on Gamzee. “Kid gets a little bit of tail and he forgets all his manners.”

“And well he motherfucking should do, with me all up on him,” Gamzee retorted. “Gimme five minutes and he'll forget a fuck of a lot more than that.” 

Dirk made a little strangled noise and Hal barked something like a laugh. All appalled flusterment to it, but the startled thread of wanting didn’t quite feel like a no to Gamzee.

“He already forgot you were here,” Gamzee went on, pleased and proud. “You wanna talk amnesia, I can induce it, reduce his scope of attention with the bare mention of my intentions. I ain't conducive to memory retention in any dimension but sexual tension.”

Dirk’s mouth was still a little open like he’d been going to say something. He bit his lip. Bro started a slow clap.

“Talented,” Bro said, over the delighted purr of his shadow-bro.

Dirk gave him a flat look and then stepped, poker-faced, back in close to Gamzee, who was more than pleased to snuggle him up. Dirk’s embarrassment mixed with desire slipped through Gamzee as he tucked a chin over Dirk’s shoulder. “Believe it,” Dirk said.

Smirking, Bro rose from the couch, stretching and scooping the floppy puppet off the cushion next to him. “Well, I can respect an artist. Guess I’ll give you two lovebirds some private time to get your ...rap on.” He raised his eyebrows.

Dirk huffed out a breath but didn’t budge from where he was pressed in casual to Gamzee’s shoulder. “We appreciate our nesting space. _Goodbye,_ Bro.”

Bro actually laughed out loud, one quick, low noise in sync with his shadow-bro’s longer peal. He exchanged fistbumps with his brother, then leaned past Kurloz to ruffle his hair while Dirk hissed and shrank back in Gamzee’s arms and went all purry inside. Bro turned a lingering smirk on Gamzee, fist extended. “Nice meeting you too, kid. Stop letting people tail you, hey?”

Gamzee eyed that fist a moment before recognizing the offer. He was beginning to say that he had no concern at him because Kurloz would up and ruin any motherfucker as offered harm, but he opened his mouth just as he raised fist to bump Bro’s, and words went out of his head as skin touched skin.

He didn’t hardly have a moment to be confused by the clutchy little tug of reaction. It was gone while he was still trying to place the barely-there feeling, and the brother was abruptly a good length back and away, face as blank and unreadable as ever, for all the energy off his shadow-bro twanged harsh dissonance through the air. Brother just fronted calm, though, slouching with his thumbs tucked in his pockets. Gamzee blinked down at his own fist and gaped at Bro. Felt like… not exactly, but felt a little like...

Kurloz flared and rumbled at the back of his head, watchful and dubious.

“Motherfucking resonance all being to happen again?” Gamzee said.

In his arms, Dirk tensed, muscles tightening against Gamzee’s chest in a way that might have been real fucking nice if the mental feel of him hadn’t just jangled apart into a noisy mess of conflicting reactions.

Bro looked at Gamzee silent, not answering right away. He raised a shoulder, all casual. “Could be, maybe.” Blank, blank, blank.

Was something else to watch him be all calm, chill and unmoved as motherfucking glaciers, when alongside it his shadow-bro was a roil of all manner of unchill things, anger and unease and a snappish urge to flee or attack. Took a second to realize this was the full-formed version of the pokerface Dirk got on all the time, that served well enough until you saw what he was after modeling it on. This was the real thing, impenetrable as fuck.

Dirk was still all tense tangling emotions, so many that it was hard to make heads nor tails of what he was up and thinking. Nothing good, but felt all aimed at himself, not Gamzee, in a way Gamzee didn’t quite like. Dirk moved to step clear and Gamzee’s hand tightened all of itself before he caught himself, forced it to let go though he had no wish to be even a step apart just now. Kurloz gave even less leeway, shifting so Dirk and his shadow-bro didn’t run into him, but not uncoiling from around them.

Dirk didn’t go far. Felt farther, especially with how Hal had turned his edges in to hide his thoughts. 

“So, you’re, uh.” Dirk paused, pressed his lips together, and his eyes flicked from Bro to Gamzee. His arms were crossed over his chest, but the little line between his brow was his problem-solving face, the one he got when he was getting at trying to fix other people's troubles so’s he could pretend he didn't have none.

“Someone want to clue me into what exactly is going on here?” he said.

Gamzee blinked at Bro, and when he made no move to be clearing matters up, shrugged and said, “Touched fists and we had us a tidbit of resonance going on, brother.” He frowned a little, thoughtful. “Nothing like as strong as it up and gets to being with you. Just a little itty bit, pretty sure.”

“You think you’d get more if you touched again?” Dirk asked.

Gamzee looked to Bro, who lifted a shoulder again. “Think I’ll leave the soul-snuggle experimentation to you kiddos,” Bro said.

Dirk pursed his lips. “It’s just complementary waveforms affecting each other. It’s a perfectly normal statistical phenomenon. It’s not a love match or something.”

Bro raised an eyebrow, amusement threading through the disarray of his puppet-shadow’s energy. “Shatter my heart why dontcha. Next you’re gonna tell me Santa’s not real and really dash my dreams.”

“I’m just saying it’s completely reasonable that related individuals might have similar enough energy fields to trigger some of the same frequency amplifications.” 

Gamzee eyed the brother a little. When he got to throwing this many words at a thing, it usually meant he was hiding away some kind of concerns at it as he wouldn't go voicing. Couldn't figure what all exactly had him in his anxiety about this, though. Like he said, the resonance maybe made sense, with them all being so alike and shit.

Cal snickered and looped out from under his puppet to cast his shadow across his brother’s chest, like some kind of clinging dark thing. The sharp, uneasy tension of the other brother’s shadow had almost totally dissolved into mocking amusement again.

“Sounds about right,” Bro told Dirk, and his voice was actually a little soft. “Figure you’d know better than me. Mister overschooled extraplanar physicist.”

From the floor beside Dirk, Hal raised a middle finger.

Bro turned his attention to Gamzee, touching his hat brim in salute. “Welp, you’re in the hands of a professional. I’ll leave you to the experts.”

Caught between mild disappointment--because damn if he wasn't getting up in his curiosity about this brother now--and a much stronger eagerness to get Dirk all on his lonesome where he wouldn't keep shying away, Gamzee made a kind of shrug-nod in response. “Nice getting my know on of you, bro. Walk safe.”

Bro was already beating it for the door, but he raised a hand in acknowledgment.

“We’re going to talk about this later,” Dirk told his back.

“Love you too, kid,” Bro said cheerfully. “You want a guinea pig for your experiments, try Davey on for size.” He didn’t wait for a response before slipping out the door. 

It closed behind him with finality, leaving Gamzee for the first time alone, with Dirk, in their… home?

 _And well about motherfucking time_ , Kurloz said. _Now you can all get on that touching as you were at wanting these last days._

Gamzee looked to Dirk, unsure but hoping with his bro gone he'd be up for cuddles again and maybe more-- but Hal was still furled in tight and Dirk had his arms crossed and his eyes not quite meeting Gamzee’s. Far as Gamzee could tell behind the shades and all. 

“Sorry about Bro again,” Dirk said, frowning at the door. “You wanna figure out what’s going on there I’ll tell him to mind his manners.” He moved his shoulders uncomfortably. “He’s actually a pretty okay guy. Weird, but. Okay. You’d probably like him.”

Gamzee blinked at him, smiled cautiously, shrugging again. “And well enough I figure I do. Odd nosy motherfucker, but he's good by me.” He paused, studying Dirk close and careful. “Hey,” he said, lower. “You mad I up and struck chords a little with him?” Wasn't sure what all manner of way Gamzee might fix that, but he could sure fucking try.

“No,” Dirk said, automatic-like. He caught himself and drew in a long, careful breath, blowing it out again slow. “It’s--stupid.” He tapped his fingers on his arm, and Hal mirrored him on the floor, all folded in and tense. “I’m not mad or anything, just.” He hesitated again, looked like he was struggling something wicked with picking his next words. “Insecure or some shit. It’s dumb. I’ll get over it.”

Gamzee stared a second, but couldn't fathom it. “What's got you all up in your insecurity, bro?”

Dirk stared back. “You really don’t--” His mouth opened, closed. Finally he shook his head once, huffing out a soft, self-mocking breath of laughter. “Nothing. Like I said. It’s dumb. Really.”

Frowning at him, Gamzee huffed back. “Well yeah, cuz ain't no motherfucking reason you got to be insecure when you hold me all through, down to the fucking root. But I didn't ask at you if you had a _good and_ _wise_ fucking reason, I asked as what this reason got to being.”

Dirk’s lips parted and he didn’t look away from Gamzee like he had been. Looked maybe transfixed. “Oh,” he said soft, and then, “I. It’s--” Color rising on his cheeks, he looked like he was fighting himself for words again, embarrassment sliding into frustration. “I just--feel like.” He bit his lip furiously.

In a tumult of energy, Hal unfurled all at once. Gamzee blinked under the sudden tangle of feeling, a sharp, acrid undercurrent of self-disgust tangled through nerves and jealousy and affection and insecurity and a hungry want, want, want. _Tell us we get to keep you. Tell us you like us *best.* Tell us this isn’t too much._

Dirk let out a strangled little laugh. “You know. Dumb needy shit like that. You don’t actually have to--”

“Get my honesty on at you like that?” Gamzee overrode him, and stepped forward, raising a hand to cup Dirk’s face. It was easier with Hal all open, giving away that the touch, the nearness, _Gamzee_ was welcome, wanted. Touch Dirk and he had two points singing hungry desire at him. On the floor, Kurloz curled closer around the three of them, laughing soft and triumphant in Gamzee’s ear.

“Brother,” Gamzee said gently, “ain't nothing dumb to be at having needs and wants. Ain't dumb to get your fear on now and then, but you gotta get to be letting me know so I can try at putting you to ease again.” He smiled, shy and pleased, didn't feel the need to make mention that Dirk’s insecurity on this matter was a wealth of motherfucking reassurance itself. “Here I am, and here I mean to motherfucking stay as long as you want me.” He let his smile go sly, flash a bit of hunger at the corners. “Like I’d be at leaving my pretty pony behind now I’ve got him all broke to saddle and trained up nice.”

 _Yee-haw_ , Hal said dryly, even as reaction flushed through the pair of them, honey-sticky and clinging. Dirk pressed his lips together. _Keep sweet talking like that and he’ll be taking treats from your fingers._

“I can give some _fine_ motherfucking treats with my fingers,” Gamzee agreed, grinning. His thumb stroked across Dirk’s cheekbone just under the point of his shades.

“Well, you are sweet enough,” Dirk said, tilting his head so he could glance up through his lashes over his shades, nuzzling into the touch. He brushed his lips across the heel of Gamzee’s hand. “Do I get to taste?”

Gamzee blinked, hitched in a little breath, heat flaring through him at the image that brought, his fingers in Dirk’s mouth, Dirk all purring like for candy. Sent his thoughts stumbling, all akilter, and he couldn't seem to up and locate words. Just stood and stared a second, breathing harder.

“I could ask nicely,” Dirk said, voice gone low, pupils wide and dark, and it wasn’t motherfucking _fair_ how Gamzee could feel those words running shivery-hot through the both of them.

“Hell yes,” Gamzee breathed, “get your sweetness on at me, fair motherfucking exchange for all I'll give you.”

Dirk shivered, once, hard, and leaned harder into the touch, keeping his eyes fixed on Gamzee. “Please? Gamzee? Let me have your fingers, want to taste you, want to have you in my mouth. Want to be so good for you, please, let me have you.”

The sound as came out of Gamzee’s throat was next best thing to a whimper, desperate wavering little noise he couldn't give less mind to. He had no blood left for thinking on minding, it was all fled lower already. For a second he stood frozen, and when he dared to move his hand shook, slipping down Dirk’s cheek to run hesitant fingertips over his lips. They parted eagerly for him, slipping to close light around the first two. Dirk made a low, pleased noise. His tongue flicked over the pad of Gamzee’s finger, getting a groan from him.

 _You should pull his hair,_ Hal said, bright and strangely intense from where he was curled up close along Dirk’s back. 

“Sure thing,” Gamzee said, breathless, and grabbed a handful of spiky blond hair to tug at. Dirk’s head tipped back and Gamzee slid two fingers along his tongue, feeling the sharp puff of his gasp. The resonance jumped like a solar flare, need and satisfaction and desperation twisting between them, arcs on the surface of the motherfucking sun.

 _Feel how bad he wants you?_ Hal asked and Dirk made another, smothered little noise.

“Yeah,” Gamzee said, eyes hungry on Dirk’s flushed cheeks, the lips wrapped around his fingers, “I surely do, brother, and you as strong. Desire all singing round me in full motherfucking chorus.”

Hal’s energy flickered a little, shivered where he was close below the hand Gamzee had in Dirk’s hair, and Dirk huffed a breath of laughter.

 _Well isn’t it just your lucky day,_ Hal said. Dirk’s tongue curled wicked around Gamzee’s fingers. His hand hooked into the front of Gamzee’s shirt, drawing him closer, slotting against him. _Two-for-one Strider special. You going to fuck your present in the hall? He’d let you._

Gamzee groaned again as that struck home, smacked him between the eyes with the image of pushing Dirk up against the wall, stripping him down and working him over right here by the front door. There was a notion fit to shut down any other thought. Tempting as hell. His hand pulled harder in Dirk’s hair, thinking on it, and he drew his fingers back a little, thrust them back in, wondering all hungry if he'd rather have his dick in that mouth, or his fingers pressing Dirk open elsewhere, making him ready. Everything at once was never the option, but fuck if he could decide.

 _He’d like that even,_ Hal went on, _like it more if you made him ask for it._

Dirk’s teeth nipped down on Gamzee’s fingers, feel of him all flustered rebuke at his brother. Releasing, he licked apologetically.

 _Don’t pretend you wouldn’t,_ Hal said, _You’re so thirsty you’d go for it on the *lawn.* And you’d *still* be forgetting the condoms and lube._

Drawing off of Gamzee, Dirk licked wet lips and spent a second breathing, leaning back into Gamzee’s grip on his hair. “I don’t actually need prophylactic assistance to blow someone’s fingers. I’d have remembered before anything went in my ass.”

_And would have had to stop everything because you’re both ridiculous organics. I’m streamlining._

“I don’t actually require a sex coordinator, either.”

_Everyone’s having a lucky day today._

Snorting, Gamzee tugged Dirk’s head back and leaned in to bite at his throat, sliding his other hand up Dirk’s shirt to dig nails into his back. Hal hummed and Dirk went pliant and wanting in his hands again. “Motherfuck but I'm all torn every whichways,” Gamzee mumbled against Dirk’s skin. “Want you every way at once, bro, on your knees and bent over and pinned up against the wall, here and in my bed and on the motherfucking street. Can't get any kind of clarity on it except as I want you.” 

“I--” Dirk stuttered as Gamzee’s teeth closed on his throat, “all of that, any of that, Gamzee, please, please, you’re so perfect, I can’t--I want--” He broke off as Gamzee licked up his neck, caught Dirk’s earlobe gentle in his teeth, breathing in his ear. Dirk clutched helplessly at Gamzee’s shoulders.

 _You should go to your room, where you have *lube,*_ Hal said. _And then work down the list one at a time as biologically plausible. Sex coordinator. You’re welcome._

Seemed like a plan with merit to it, except as Gamzee had little interest to him in breaking off what he was all working at. Dirk’s breath hitched and shivered as Gamzee licked and nibbled and kissed all across his sensitive spots and it was purely addictive, those little noises as Dirk couldn't get to biting back. Always working so hard to hold himself back, made it that much sweeter to get him all undone. He teased his nails along the back of Dirk’s neck and Dirk gasped and arced up into him, hips seeking automatically, legs slotting into his.

Gamzee hummed and ground forward, groaning against Dirk’s neck at friction dearly wanted.

“Oh-- _kay_ , I, hold on, wait--” Dirk’s hands were pushing him back now, urging space between them. Gamzee resisted a moment, then recalled himself and took a half-step back. Gotta stop when Dirk says it, give him his space.

 _Like he hasn't had fully as much space and more than he could motherfucking handle, this past span of days,_ Kurloz grumbled from where he twined close around Gamzee’s and Dirk’s feet. Gamzee just gave him the feel of a shrug.

A step of space was all Dirk took, though, holding onto Gamzee with one hand while he breathed fast and unsteady. He reached up and pulled free his shades where they’d gone askew, hooking them into the collar of his shirt. Had a pretty set of marks coming up all over his neck, and he blinked eyes heavy and bedroom-dazed at Gamzee, head still a little tilted back like to put himself all on offer. 

_Condoms,_ Hal reminded, _Lube._

“Right,” Dirk said, “what the bossy sex Boy Scout said. Be prepared and all that shit. Where would we be without his expertise?” 

“On the lawn?” Gamzee suggested, and Dirk laughed. His hand slid down to Gamzee’s wrist, pulling him close again, urging him towards Dirk’s room.

Gamzee dug in his heels, caught Dirk by that arm and tugged sharp-like, swinging him around off balance in the opposite direction, then shoved him onward, holding on to keep him on his feet. “Mine’s closer,” he said, heart all beating up fierce in his chest. He couldn't say if it was more nerves or excitement to have Dirk in Gamzee’s own private little space, but his breath was coming quick and short.

 _Yes,_ Kurloz purred, all satisfaction. _Take them where they’re ours, keep them all to ourselves, make them sing out their gratitude and worship for as long as we choose._

All truth, Gamzee figured that sounded pretty fucking good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more after this b/c we got carried away :33


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hokay, this got a little out of hand.  
> mind the ratings bump and new tags. :33

Gamzee cast a glance around his bedroom, flicking on the lights as he stepped through the door after Dirk, absent habitual check as all was in place. Guitar safe in the corner, spare sketchbook on the milk crate, scattered odds and ends and shiny polished rocks laid out on the banged up dresser. He'd left his backpack in the living room, but it was okay, Dirk wouldn’t mind, and wasn't no one else in the place to walk off with it.

Ahead of him, held fast in his grip, Dirk was still all pliant and gorgeously willing, thrumming want through every chord. Something careful and curious laid over it now, though. His eyes darted around the room and Gamzee could almost feel the gaze brushing over all his little personal things like a touch.

The blankets on the futon were all slept in from three days back, but it wasn't the mess as Gamzee took sudden concern for. He frowned, threw Dirk an uncertain sideways look.

“It doesn't exactly have a lot of cush and softness to it,” he admitted, then brightened. “Motherfucking worlds softer than a lab counter, though.”

“How about the lawn?” Dirk murmured, and brushed one of his little smiles against Gamzee’s lips.

 _Told you he’d fixate on that_ , Hal said, still pressed up along Dirk, close and not exploring the corners of Gamzee’s room like Gamzee would've thought. Couple of ways to take that, like he had more interest to him for the sex about to happen than the new space, or could be he didn't feel like trying to break free of Kurloz’s encirclement just now. 

_As is right and good,_ Kurloz purred private to Gamzee, sweeping still closer til the dark shape of him almost lapped at their feet, holding them tight, nudging them onwards towards the futon. _How better to worship us than held close to hand and rendering to you what pleasure you wish._ He sent tendrils climbing up Gamzee’s legs, licking threateningly close to Dirk’s feet and the dark form of Hal on Dirk’s legs. The resonance trembled, and Hal’s edges shivered, but for a rarity he didn’t push back, made no gesture to repel the intrusion or pick up their usual sparring. 

_Handsy,_ Hal murmured. _Someone feeling ignored?_

Gamzee blinked, all puzzlement as how that could even be a question what got asked. “Uh, no?”

Kurloz snorted and flicked out a loop to brush across Hal’s edge and speak to him direct. _Mine it is to be well and sure my little brother gets all the wealth of attention that’s rightfully his. Yours to be all sweet in your surrender, fine pretty things_. _All meek and docile in accommodation, as well you should be, bowing to our pleasure._

Gamzee watched Dirk’s eyes darken as his pupils flared wide, as Hal seemed to darken on Dirk’s skin, resonance striking like a bell. No need for any answer aloud with that startled hunger of anticipation shivering through as clear as words.

Gamzee kissed Dirk and pushed him back towards the futon, tugging the hem of Dirk’s white tank up to bare skin. Dirk pressed into the touch for a minute, then broke away to strip his shirt off completely, tossing it out of the way and setting his shades to the side on the sketchbook. Kicking off his shoes, he dropped back on the futon, Kurloz circling up to make space for him as he went. Surrounded by shadow, Dirk arched and stretched under Gamzee’s hot eyes, before rolling to his front to watch Gamzee from his elbows. Hal stretched out alongside him, a dark, waiting silhouette within Kurloz’s enclosure.

No resonance now, but still that trembling, recklessly open connection with Hal, the shadow-brother laid out on display, and Dirk through him. Felt less desperate now, heat banked to something smoldering and fond.

Gamzee stripped off hoodie and t-shirt, got his sneakers off and dove for the futon half-naked, spreading himself over Dirk’s bare back and nipping at his shoulders, the back of his neck. Dirk sighed and rolled his head forward, nape all exposed and vulnerable and offered right up, and how could Gamzee do anything but take such a fine offering?

Fingers tightening in the sheets, Dirk gasped and then sighed out another breath like Gamzee had unlocked something with lips and teeth. “Missed you,” Dirk breathed, so soft it might have been another sigh, might have been not meant to be heard at all.

“Fuck, my brother,” Gamzee murmured between kisses and nibbles, “Hell if I didn't miss the fuck out of you too.” He reached to catch the rim of one ear between his teeth, nipped and licked at it as Dirk squirmed under him, letting out little breathy sounds. “And not just for the pretty noises you get to making,” he added.

“Even with Karkat?” Dirk asked, and then went tense all over, resonance knifing through with something sharp and self-loathing. 

_Idiot,_ Hal said, and Dirk tightened up more, almost, but not quite, pulling away from Gamzee’s hands.

“Sorry,” he said. “That wasn’t fair.”

Gamzee blinked and frowned. “The fuck?” he said, and felt Dirk flinch as much through the resonance as the way his body twitched. “No, brother, what--” He rolled off Dirk and shoved to get him over on his side, their faces close together, Gamzee’s hands still on his shoulders. With that kind of stinging uncertainty to the feel of him, seemed important to be all at watching him careful here.

“Nothing unfair to it,” he said, baffled. “Just a motherfucking question, bro, no harm.” Not unless Dirk went and got up in his jealousy, which would suck. If Dirk got to wanting him to _choose_ \--Gamzee shied away from the thought. Nothing so bad coming through just yet, though, just anxiety and the cruel, pricking jab of regret and self-hatred. 

Gamzee leaned in and kissed him soft on the forehead to try and chase it off. 

Dirk closed his eyes like it hurt him. “It’s _not_ just a question. It’s me getting all bossy and controlling over your relationships. It’s none of my business who you want to spend time with just because I’m spilling my insecure bullshit all over you; that shit is not on.”

Gamzee’s mouth kinda dropped open for a minute, and then he shook his head quick, like to shake something off. “Brother, you ain't said a damn thing like any of that nonsense,” he said firmly. “You got no intent to be at cutting me off from him, you're just all anxious over us. No shame in fear, and I can set you back in your ease.” 

Dirk frowned back at him, stubborn as anything. Leaning in again, Gamzee brushed the tip of his nose against Dirk’s, their breath mingling. “Yeah, even all up in Karkat’s space, I still got on my missing of you,” he said, all gentle. “Cuz you ain't to being the same in any motherfucking sense, and I'm all in love with you _both_ , bro. Ain't like one of you can be to swapping in for the other.”

That angry, nervy unhappiness of Dirk’s dissolved into static, white noise through the resonance like a star imploding. Dirk’s lips parted around a single, silent breath, whatever he’d been about to say all caught up somewhere behind them. He stayed like that, frozen still like to not attract attention, mind buzzing indecipherably, amber eyes wide and startled. 

“...Oh,” he said after a long moment, still soft and wondering and confused.

Gamzee kissed the tip of his nose and grinned at him. “There you go, my brother, asked and answered, and no harm nor sorrow by it. Any other questions itching at you all harsh and needling?”

“I… uh…” Dirk blinked. His fingers curled minutely where they rested on Gamzee’s hip. “Right. Yes.”

Gamzee waited a second, but no questions seemed to be forthcoming. Grin going crooked and amused, he raised his brows. “Whenever you're ready, bro.”

 _Sure,_ Hal said, after another pause. _Just. Recalibrating. Be right with you._

Dirk let out a breath of laughter. “What was the question again?”

Gamzee snorted a laugh. “Question was all at being, you got any other questions?”

“Right,” Dirk said again, blinked twice more, and pressed his lips together, put on that face he got at his work table sometimes. “We should... probably talk about the thing with Bro at some point.”

“Thing with Bro?” Gamzee said blankly. “What motherfucking--oh, that whole resonance deal?”

 _No, the other thing with Bro,_ Hal said. Dirk rolled his eyes. When he spoke, it was clipped and carefully neutral, still that science puzzle manner he got on to solve a bit of machinery.

“You had some complementary chords going earlier. You… going to do anything with that?”

“Uh… like what?”

Dirk shrugged, dodged his eyes. “It’s interesting. Kind of unusual. Might be… something you want to explore or something.”

Gamzee stared at him. “Motherfucker, you want to be at getting some clarity on for me here? Explore like how, for why?”

“Like with me,” Dirk said, finally looking back at him, eyes intense and serious. “Not exactly the same, obviously; Bro doesn’t really do relationships, or, like, sex. Or like. People, really, at all. But, I don’t know, he’s a pretty cool guy, you might get on. And you’ve got this like. Chords thing. Fated whatever. Compatible personality waveforms. Maybe you can have a chill bromance written in the stars.”

 _Like we'd have want to be at entertaining that pushy fucker and his rude-ass little hunger shadow,_ was Kurloz's private contribution.

Gamzee blinked and slowly started to frown. “Hold up a motherfucking sec. Fated? I thought--ain’t you all at saying all the time as it’s just like science and shit, and not that romantic fate stuff?”

 _The science of bumping uglies_ , Hal commented.

“Well it can’t get to being motherfucking that,” Gamzee pointed out. “You just said as your bro’s up and got no interest in sex.”

“I mean, he’s _interested_ , _”_ Dirk said, “just from like, an anthropological perspective. Sex is like his special interest. Dude makes puppet pornography for funsies.”

 _Don’t ever let him near you with a webfeed,_ Hal said.

Dirk shrugged the topic away. “And resonance _is_ science. I could draw you all the theoretical models; I’ve been reading up on this. It’s actually not that dissimilar from the way shadow energies resonate with potential hosts, though that’s more about similarity and augmentation than complementary pairing. Wavelength interactions. The social interpretations of what it means are a lot more abstract. But it’s still… I don’t know, you’ve got this whole touch-emotion meaningful _thing_ going on, you don’t wanna poke around with that?” Dirk dropped his gaze, shoulders all drawn in tight. “I mean, that’s why _we_ got together, right?”

 _What in the motherfuck_ , Kurloz muttered.

Took a moment to up and summon words, Gamzee blinking near cross-eyed at Dirk’s odd perspective on things. “No,” he said, watching Dirk all careful, “we got together cuz you can bear Kurloz better than any other motherfucker I've met, and you like me, and you been a world of sweetness and care to me since I walked in your fucking door, brother. You'll up and motherfucking _change_ shit for me, stop what you're about or shift it for my sake. You got any motherfucking notion how rare that gets to being?”

Dirk stared at him, flushing slowly. 

“I don’t actually want to be interchangeable with my brother,” he said suddenly, like that was some kind of declaration and not totally out of nowhere.

“Uh…” Gamzee said, staring back. “Good. Don’t see how you could be if you motherfucking tried.”

“I’m kind of insecure.”

He seemed to be waiting for a response, so Gamzee nodded, quirking a smile at him. “Honest truth, it's hella cute.”

The color in Dirk’s cheeks picked up and his lashes flickered. He kept his eyes fixed on Gamzee, though, like he’d set himself a challenge. “It’s completely unfair of me, but I really don’t want you romantically involved with my brother.” 

In full honesty, Gamzee’s first impulse was to frown and point out Dirk _just motherfucking said_ as Bro had no interest in relationships, not to mention that the man had up and been real clear that he had little want at him to be at exploring this resonance nonsense with Gamzee. Seemed pretty clear that was the wrong direction, though. Not what Dirk needed to be hearing.

“Dunno if it’s fair,” he said, shrugging. “Either way it’s all good, cause I got no wish to me to be doing that thing.” He squinted over Dirk’s shoulder a moment, thinking about it. “Could be friends,” he offered. “But he’d have to put in the motherfucking work.”

Dirk actually huffed at that. “Yeah, careful what you wish for. Dude is terrifying when he puts his mind to something. You might wind up in friendship handcuffs. Woven all together with BFF bracelets. Sharing a Get-Along onesie.” That familiar, wry slice of a smile had crept back, and Gamzee could just about purr at the way Dirk’s resonance was easing back into something warm and fizzing. 

“If you did want it though,” Dirk said, tipping his head in until their foreheads bumped together, voice going soft and sincere like sharing secrets. “Shouldn’t let me stop you from going after whatever you want. Want you to be happy.”

“‘S why I want _you_ ,” Gamzee said, just as quiet, and ran a hand down Dirk’s back, the smooth lithe lines of him, to get a handful of his ass. Dirk’s mouth opened around a silent sound. “Cuz you like giving me what I'm all to be wanting, even if it's a motherfucking _inconvenience_.” Gamzee widened his eyes all big and solemn, and squeezed, groping Dirk through his jeans.

Dirk bit his lip. “Yeah?” he asked, a touch breathy, a hint of humor. All attention. “You got something ...inconvenient in mind?”

“Could be as I do,” Gamzee admitted, heart going faster. He took a breath, reminded himself what he was all at wanting just now wasn’t any sort of thing as Dirk would have reluctance at. It was safe to say, safe to ask. “I’m gonna be at making demands at you,” he started, and paused as the resonance spiked up in a shocked little thrill. Oh. He did keep forgetting just how much Dirk liked it when Gamzee got all up in his bossiness and pushed him around. 

More settled in himself, Gamzee grinned slow and promising and grabbed Dirk by the hair. Tugging his head back, he bit at the arch of Dirk’s neck and nuzzled up under his jaw.

 _*Yes*,_ Hal said, and Gamzee’s grin sharpened. Kurloz thrummed his satisfaction at the back of Gamzee’s head, and flexed around his pleasing captives.

“Gonna get my fingers up in you,” Gamzee said against Dirk’s skin, “my mouth on your dick, gonna drive you crazy.”

Dirk drew in a hitched breath. “Doesn’t--doesn’t really sound like any kind of inconvenience for me,” he managed, fingers grabbing for skin at Gamzee’s sides.

“No?” Gamzee said, only halfway pretending his surprise. He nipped Dirk’s earlobe and sucked on it. “It convenient for you to be all at falling apart for me? No trouble to get up in your obedience, give in to these upright stringent demands?”

“ _Gamzee._ ” Dirk tensed like he’d been tased, arching in towards Gamzee.

 _No trouble at all, angelcake,_ Hal hummed, all low and bright. _He’s gonna fold for you like a horny hand of poker._

“That,” Dirk gasped, “does not even make _sense_.”

Gamzee laughed, nibbling down Dirk’s throat. “I dunno, bro, I like it just fine.” The hand on Dirk’s ass squeezed again, slid down lower between his legs, pressing and teasing, but his jeans were too thick for it to work quite right. Gamzee huffed and sat up, eyes narrowed on Dirk. Liked Gamzee bossy, liked being pushed around, so what about--

“Go on, brother,” he said mildly, “get your clothes off.”

 _Oh, you’ve got his number,_ said Hal. Dirk flicked his eyes sideways at his brother, but didn’t comment. Pushing up to his knees, he tilted his head down, honey-gold eyes watching Gamzee through his lashes as he quickly shucked off the last of his clothes.

Gamzee’s breath came rough in his throat and he licked his lips, eyes tracking over all that pretty bare skin. “ _Damn_ , bro,” he sighed. “Look at you being a motherfucking work of art.” 

“Fuckin’ Picasso up in here,” Dirk agreed. He ran lingering hands up his abdomen.

Gamzee laughed. “Nah, bro, all your anatomy’s in the place as it’s meant to be. More some fucker as has a skill with the light, makes a body seem to glow from inside.” He planted a hand in the middle of Dirk’s chest and shoved gently. “Lie down for me,” he murmured.

Dirk went back for him easy, stretch of lit-up bronze sprawled among the shadows on the bed, hair all disheveled and eyes so bright and hungry on Gamzee. “I can think of some other places for my anatomy to be.”

“I bet you can.” A quiver of uncertainty flicked through Gamzee’s gut. Impatient, shouldn't make him wait, ought to just--but he’d _liked_ it just now, wanted Gamzee to call the shots. Dropping his gaze to sweep over the expanse of smooth skin, the hard dick lying up against those abs, he slid a hand up Dirk’s thigh all casual like he wasn't all listening hard to the resonance for answers.

It gave him hunger and need and his own flickering uncertainty back, no clarity, nothing to say if this was fine or no. His fingers tracked up Dirk’s thigh, chasing that want in the resonance, and Dirk shivered. His brows drew together.

“Gamzee-- don’t--” 

Gamzee almost flinched as Dirk’s hand touched his on his thigh. 

Don't what, don't touch? Don’t make him wait, don’t presume? He froze, heart suddenly hammering in his chest--and the hand closed more firmly on his.

“Hey, shh, shh,” Dirk said, voice going even softer, eyes wide and startled. Not a note of anger in the resonance or in his face. Gamzee relaxed a little, still watching him close. Dirk pushed up farther on one elbow to look at him straight, stroked his thumb along the captured hand. “Don’t go doing anything you don’t want to do,” he finished. “...You remember, right? Red, yellow, green? You still having fun?”

Gamzee breathed out, smiled at him all full up in gratitude. Wondered at the ping of reaction that shivered almost painful sweet through the resonance in response. “Yeah, bro, I'm good.” Brother hadn't even _noticed_ what Gamzee was all worry over, thank fuck. If he didn't know, it meant he hadn't been thinking it, wasn't hiding impatience somehow. 

_Good’s not a color,_ Hal said, and Dirk lifted an eyebrow.

Grinning, Gamzee rolled his eyes, sliding his hand up Dirk’s torso, tracing the dips of rolling muscle. “Motherfucking verdant emerald,” he said, and raised his own brows, expectant. “You?”

Dirk scanned him once more before relaxing into a smirk, head dropping back to the bed. “Green like a stoplight. Go, go, go.”

“Hmm,” Gamzee said, stretching out beside him to mouth at one nipple as he nudged at the other with a thumb. Dirk’s hand slipped into his hair. “Too bad for you I'm the one all in the driver's seat, and set to obeying posted speed limits. Fifteen miles per hour during school hours, bro, ‘cause I’m taking you to school.”

Dirk choked on a laugh. “No kinkshaming, but you sure you want to go there? Daddy kink is such a big step. I’m all flustered.”

Gamzee’s head jerked up to stare at him, stomach doing a weird little twist and jitter. “What-- _no._ Aw fuck no, brother, I meant like _schooling_ you, I mean, like--”

“Pfft,” Dirk patted at Gamzee’s hair, dropping his other arm over his eyes and not at all managing to hide a rare, full-on smile. “I got it, bro. Daddy kink is a no-go. Metaphor landed. Take me to school.”

“Fuck no,” Gamzee said, and nipped at Dirk’s pec. “I'm retiring this metaphor, returning it to fucking sender, it got all banged up in transit.” He settled down to working a hickey into Dirk’s skin, fingers playing with the other nipple.

 _Aw, Dirk,_ Hal said. _Senpai doesn’t want to notice us._

Dirk’s chest hitched under Gamzee’s lips, and the fingers in Gamzee’s hair soothed restlessly across his scalp. “Feeling--pretty noticed over here.”

Kurloz thrummed amusement at the back of Gamzee’s head, rippling gently as he lay holding the three of them enclosed, smug and indulgent.

The not quite tangible hum of Hal’s energy drew closer, shadow hand brushing close to Gamzee’s own on Dirk’s skin. He pulled away to examine his work, mark standing out ruddy maroon, and smiled all thoughtful at Hal. “Look at my pair of pretty ponies,” he murmured and tapped Dirk’s thigh with the back of his hand. “Spread your legs, bro.”

Dirk’s legs moved through the sheets obediently, knees drawing up slightly as his toes curled against the futon. There was a flush on his skin, spreading down his neck and up his cheeks to where the arm was still tossed over his face, hiding his eyes.

Hella cute to see him taking cover that way, making to replace his shades all naked like this, and doubly naked with his every reaction on full display through the resonance. Gamzee grinned at him all fond and got up to fetch supplies, ignoring the sudden empty space when the resonance cut out. Kurloz made no move to release the circle he held around Dirk and Hal, just stretched long and short again as Gamzee moved.

“Look at you being all sweet obedience for me,” Gamzee said, sitting back down between Dirk’s legs and dropping the stuff to run his hands up those sleek-muscled thighs, resonance chiming in again. Dirk squirmed and twisted under even that light touch, but kept his feet planted. “So good, brother. I gotta do this proper, get you rewards for good behavior.” Leaning down, he ran the tip of his tongue up Dirk’s dick.

That earned a sharp pant and aborted twitch of Dirk’s hips, and Gamzee hummed pleased hunger.

 _He wants to be good for you, you know_ , Hal said, cozied up alongside Dirk and Gamzee, one shadow hand curved over Dirk’s leg. _Give you whatever you want._

The resonance flared, annoyance with a wave of heat and thrill on its heels, and motherfuck but Gamzee felt an answering heat throb low in his gut. He groaned soft, rubbed his cheek against the inside of Dirk’s thigh. He looked down at Hal. “And what if I take it real slow, make him wait? You think he’ll like it, be good for me?”

Hal pulsed, darkening against the sheets. _Oh, yes. I think he’ll have a hella good time being a good boy for you._

“Hal, what the fuck,” Dirk muttered, but his voice was thick and he didn’t offer any kind of denial.

Somehow Gamzee hadn’t expected that appreciative response. Had him short of breath, all taken aback by the heat of it. He stared a second, shook his head like to clear it and unzipped his pants, as matters were getting a bit pressing down there.

“Damn, bro,” he said all husky. “You got all kinds of miracles to you, puts me right square in my wonder. Let's see if I can get some miraculous shit on to happening for you.”

He got the lube open and slicked up a couple fingers, sucking little kisses and nips along the inside of one thigh. Then he set to nuzzling the base of Dirk’s dick, just mouthing gently, kissing it, breathing on it, and ran his slicked fingertips down under Dirk’s balls to slide in little teasing circles, just touching and rubbing and not ever pressing inside.

“Shit,” Dirk said. His free hand, the one not occupied hiding his face in his elbow, twisted in the sheets. “Gamzee…”

 _He likes that,_ Hal said. _If you were wondering._

Dirk heated under Gamzee’s hands, tensing and twisting more. “Oh my god. He’s not--fuckin’ _wondering_ , would you stop that?”

“Aw, bro,” Gamzee said, only a little muffled with his lips against soft skin, “I surely motherfucking was, though. Your brother’s being a world of help to me, keeping me up in my ease.” He licked a couple times, little flicks of the tongue working his way up as he thought. Then he raised his head, tilted it, smiling at Dirk.

“You want as he shouldn't have to, maybe I oughta get you to take up the task yourself, brother.”

Hal laughed, low and approving. 

Gamzee lowered his voice. “Talk to me. Speak at me your pleasure, tell me how it feels, what I'm at here. Let me hear from your lips if it's good, and how much you want it.”

“Oh,” Dirk said, and if there was anything better than his voice all lost and desperate and coming apart at the seams, Gamzee didn’t know what it was. “I… I…”

Gamzee went back to nuzzling and licking and waited for something more, but no further words issued forth. He turned his head to laugh softly against Dirk’s trembling thigh, then looked up again, eyebrows raised though Dirk wouldn't see.

“Come on now, pretty thing,” he murmured. “I got every belief you can do better than that. You got a world of eloquence hid behind those sweet lips of yours, so part them for me and be speaking.”

 _If he doesn’t like it,_ Hal said in tones of faux sincerity, _maybe you should stop._

“You know, brother, that is an excellent motherfucking point you make,” Gamzee said, and pulled his fingertips away, lowered his head to just above the damp patch of skin he'd been licking, and waited, breathing quietly against it.

“Shit,” Dirk said again, “ _please._ I do, Gamzee, I do, I like it, it’s good.” His arm had slid down to where he was peering at Gamzee from just behind his fingers, face flushed and eyes dark behind the curling screen of them. His other hand came up from the sheets, hovered uncertainly by Gamzee’s face like he didn’t know if he was allowed to touch, settled for dragging tracks across the taut skin of his own stomach.

“Fuckin’ perfect,” Dirk gasped, “everything you do. Anything, just--please.”

 _Vague,_ Hal commented. _You satisfied with that kind of open-ended user prompt?_

“That bit I figure I got down well enough,” Gamzee said, moving his fingers back to the teasing feathery little strokes and slides they'd been at. He dipped his head, licked up the length of Dirk’s dick once, looked up again with half-lidded eyes. “It's the rest as I'd prefer elucidation on. Get your specificity on, brother. _Anything_ , well enough, but it ain't _everything_ as I'm at just now. Say at me what you like. Be good for me.”

Dirk drew in a long, shaky breath, eyes closing and then opening again. “Your fingers. Your mouth. God, please, touch me, I want to feel you.” He’d started sporadically, but he was picking up steam now, voice smoothing out into something low and intimate. “Want it so bad, god, you beautiful fuckin’ tease. Feels like you’re killing me every time you touch me and like I’ll die if you don’t. Shit, please. You’re so good. Gamzee, sweetheart. Fill me up, give me _something,_ I need it, need you.”

Gamzee huffed kind of like he'd been punched, because motherfuck if hearing that last bit didn't feel like it, like getting smacked in the belly with a fucking sledgehammer of pure want. “Yeah,” he said hoarsely. “Fuck yeah.”

He set to kissing and licking again as one slick finger pressed in below, moving all gradual still, pulling back halfway in as the second finger joined it just as slow. Just because he shifted methods at request didn't mean he had intention to stop teasing.

“God, like that, please, more,” and Dirk wasn’t any kind of quiet now, voice hitching up to something close to a speaking volume, louder than Gamzee had heard him get this early into things.

“There you go, sweetness,” Gamzee said, and kept at what he was doing. “Keep talking for me and could be I'll get to giving you what you want.” Both fingers slid inside and he curved them, rocked them up just a little to brush over the right spot. Dirk made an aborted little noise, hips rolling up off the bed.

Gamzee chuckled. “Now, bro, you don't wanna go distracting me. Try at holding still for me, yeah? Let's see how good you do.” He rubbed his fingertips across that spot again a time or two, testing. Watching Dirk’s face as his eyes pressed closed, as he bit his lip and tried so hard for Gamzee, breath hitching and muscles jumping as he fought the pleasure.

 _He stopped talking,_ Hal pointed out.

“Yeah, I had my awareness on,” Gamzee said, a little indistinct as he mouthed at Dirk’s dick. He licked a bit and pulled away, still moving his fingers slow and steady inside. “Brother needs a minute to get his feet under him, ‘s all good. I'm in my lenience just yet, won't get harsh with him unless that he quits trying.”

 _Oh, promises_ , Hal purred, and somehow managed to slide even closer, ‘til Gamzee could feel the buzz of his shadow fingers a breath away. _Dirk, would you like that? Should I tell him how you feel about that?_

Dirk shivered again, hard. His breath came uneven, uncertain. “I can--be good. I’m… I can...”

Gamzee hummed low and pleased, quickened the strokes of his fingers for a minute in reward. “Yeah, bro, I know you can. Got that wealth of goodness and sweetness tucked up in you, all waiting to spill out. Just gotta get you uncorked,” he added, grinning, and dropped his head to pull the tip of Dirk’s erection into his mouth, sucking in gentle encouragement.

“Shit, fuck--” Dirk’s eyes pressed closed almost like it hurt him, and his hips twitched as he barely kept from squirming on the bed. “I want to, I’ll try.” His eyes opened, lost and desperate on Gamzee, pupils blown dark. “I’m not, I’m not sweet, I don’t think--but I’d try to be for you. Gamzee.”

Gamzee pulled off just enough to say, “Sweetest brother as ever I motherfucking met, honest truth. Only one ever been as kind is my other beloved, get your clarity on that, bro.” He ducked his head, licked and sucked some more, enjoying the shudder it put in Dirk’s breath. “So, you gonna talk for me now, sexy, tell at me how you like this?”

Dirk drew in a long gasp. “Your--your mouth,” he said, almost at random. Well, not at _random_ \--Gamzee grinned and applied himself to a demonstration of said mouth’s skills. Dirk panted, once, hard, and then went on in a rush. “You’re so fuckin’--good at that, fuck, your tongue, like that, yeah. I can’t think, I want… I want to feel you more, but I can’t… _nnh_ , stand it.” He twisted his head helplessly against the sheets for a minute. “Can I touch you? Gamzee, please, can I touch you?”

Gamzee blinked, heart all caught in a warm little ache at the question, the want and uncertainty in it. “Yeah, brother,” he said softly, “for sure you can be at doing that.”

Dirk’s hand came out, desperate, brushed along Gamzee’s cheek to settle in his hair, not trying to direct but just holding on, like for anchor. “You’re so good, I think about you all the time, and I just want--” he stopped, changed directions. “Tell me what you want. Please. I like this, like you. I want to be good for you.”

Gamzee kind of hitched up a minute, puzzled. Flicker of something deep under the surface there, held tight and hidden. He spoke with his lips brushing skin. “Where's my motherfucking sex Boy Scout at? Brother got any input as to words that ought to get said and didn't?” 

Dirk’s fingers tensed in Gamzee’s hair, but he bit his lip, kept quiet.

 _Mm._ The tone was light, but the feel of Hal was more complicated, hard to get grip on. Pleased to be consulted, but getting reluctant to share, maybe. _He’ll keep,_ Hal said, all offhand airy, silhouetted fingers stroking restless and distracted up and down Dirk’s hip. _Just twisting himself round into paradox knots about the nature of reciprocity. Here’s a puzzle: how do you ask if someone isn’t just trying to make you happy without pre-loading the deck?_

“...Oh,” Gamzee said, another pang of sympathy coming up on him. “Aw, bro, naw, ain't no such thing getting its happen on.” He leaned over a bit to kiss Dirk’s hip bone all gentle. “I'm all at doing just what I like just now, remember? Asked no direction or nothing out of you, hell, I've been at making my wants _known_ of you here.” He aimed a sliver of smirk up at those big blown-dark eyes. “Plenty glad it pleases you as well, but _I'm_ the one holding your reins. Got you saddled up and ready,” he crooked his fingers inside, rubbed a pointed time or two, “ain't even had to bring out spurs nor whip yet.”

Dirk shivered, but didn’t look away, and his eyes were so, so bright on Gamzee.

 _Y’all are going to talk yourselves into ponyplay any day now,_ Hal said.

Gamzee watched Dirk swallow, get his voice working again. “Giddyup, cowboy. Inappropriate pony rides are a go.”

“You'd be fucking cute with a pretty little tail, all bows and braids and nice,” Gamzee mused, fingers working in a steady rhythm again. “Dunno how I'd look in riding boots, though.”

“Depends what else you were wearing,” Dirk said, humor creeping in. He dropped his head back, rolling it against the sheets, muscles tensing all along his thighs and abdomen as he fought to stay still. Let Gamzee work into him. “There, please, that’s _good--_ ”

 _I vote nothing,_ Hal said.

Gamzee hummed warm and hungry in his chest, kept doing just as he was, as asked, and dropped his head to nuzzle Dirk’s dick in the meantime. “Nothing,” he said, flicking his tongue against silky damp skin, all salt and musk. “Well, I was thinking more an apron and a motherfucking bowtie, maybe one of those what plays a little tune or some such if you poke it. Make a nice outfit, you know. For the occasion.”

Dirk made a strangled noise and Hal started laughing. Dirk started trying to wiggle off the bed. “Nope, that’s it, sex cancelled. Boyfriend too terrible.”

Kurloz made no move to give him a path off the futon, and Dirk wound up snuggled almost up against him, dark border rippling close along his side and shoulder. Dirk licked his lips, eyes on that darkness, breathing fast.

“Aw,” Gamzee said, pouting up at him. “Terrible? You sure about that?” He quickened his stroking fingers, ducked to pull Dirk into his mouth and sucked all persuasive.

“Yes,” Dirk said, voice hitching into a gasp somewhere near the end. “You’re terrible and that’s cheating.”

 _Oh_ , Kurloz said unexpectedly, _he wants cheating now, we can motherfucking see to that._

Gamzee blinked, eyes widening and hand falling still as his brother’s intention came clear. _Hang on, now, not sure they'll be--_

Kurloz rumbled dismissal and swept in across Dirk’s skin, a dark tide lapping up on his ribs, and everyone went still a shocked second as the resonance shifted, mixing with Kurloz’s eerie prickle up the back of the neck. Gamzee lifted his head, took a shuddery breath of air. With his shadow touching Dirk, felt like they might as well share one skin, him and Dirk, barely a membrane’s separation between them.

Hal threw himself into the mix a split second later, and everything got a little too chaotic to think on that feeling.

The shadow scuffle lasted barely the space of breaths, but the feel of it printed right into Gamzee’s bones, Hal snarling and striking fast like a blade, Kurloz countering easy and more exasperated than angry, not bothering to fight for true. The skittering power of him amped up until it swamped the room, ringing back chords from every twist and strike of Hal within him.

Just a few breaths, and then Dirk got his elbows under him, drew himself together under the flicker and dance of shadow. “Hal, _stop_ ,” he said, and his brother went still.

Watching wide-eyed and frozen equally still, Gamzee said silent, _Didn't I motherfucking say they wouldn't be chill with it?_

 _Like I'd have any want to be at breaking my little brother’s favored love-toy_ , Kurloz grumbled, no longer silent with him still overlapping Hal on Dirk’s chest.

“Not. Necessarily the issue here,” Dirk said. He shifted, just a bit, against Gamzee’s hands, under Kurloz’s coils. His eyes on Gamzee were unreadable, but that layered shadow touch still bound him so close. Didn’t feel mad exactly, or scared. Confused, turned on, careful. Something there that almost felt like amusement.

 _Perhaps you'd like to explain your actual intentions, then_ , _grabby-curls,_ Hal said, pointed-sharp. _And how *obviously harmless* they are._

Kurloz snorted, went all smug and amused. _My intent, harmless as fucking dawn, was this, motherfucker._ He slid tendrils across Dirk’s body, one over each shoulder, one in a thin band circling his throat, and one down his torso. Gamzee’s eyebrows lifted as it wrapped around Dirk’s dick.

 _You're ours, and mine it is to see you don't forget it,_ Kurloz purred. _No escape can you make, not fight nor beg nor wriggle your way free, but be held here at our pleasure to do with as we will._

Gamzee watched Dirk shiver under those words, eyes dropping half-closed as reckless desire flared through the resonance, a sweet, high note. Felt him tighten around Gamzee’s fingers, still tucked up inside him but holding still now. Hal shifted directionlessly on Dirk’s skin, through Kurloz’s tendrils, and Dirk bit his lip. He opened his eyes, blinking away haziness, and looked directly at Gamzee.

“Yellow.” 

Gamzee’s heart stuck in his throat and he had to slam down a spike of panic. _Fucked it up he'll hate us now he’ll hate me--so *fix* it!_ “What you need, brother? I'll call him off…” Could and would if Dirk had no liking for this new game. Gamzee hadn't been prepared for it himself, just now, never would've expected this much direct interest from Kurloz. 

“Think he’ll listen to a no?” Dirk asked, and the feel of him was still this strange, neutral serenity, balanced on a tightrope over a torrent of complicated emotion deep enough to drown in.

“He will if I motherfucking speak it,” Gamzee said firmly, with a mental eye to Kurloz. The response was an irritated ripple like a shrug; he'd go along for lack of want to upset Gamzee, even if he preferred not.

“Mm,” Dirk said, “just… checking.” And his eyes on Gamzee were dark and thoughtful and seemed to be examining his soul. Which he might as well have been, close-tied together as they were. Dirk raised a hand, ran curious, light fingers across one of Kurloz’s tendrils on his shoulder, and never looked away from Gamzee, who licked his lips and stared back wide-eyed.

“I’ve done overshadowing-play before, you know,” Dirk said. “Not--people don’t normally like Hal to touch them, too much dissonance, gives them headaches. But I’ve experimented the other way around. It’s not that _outré_ a kink.” Dirk traced his fingers up his own skin, stroked lightly at the dark band circling his neck. “…’Course, people usually _ask first_.”

 _Briarpatch is bad at boundaries, news at 11,_ Hal grumbled.

“You--yeah?” Gamzee said, struck breathless at those pretty-as-fuck patterns of shadow on skin, at seeing the brother so calm and accepting of Kurloz all on him. “That's a thing as folks get to doing, like, a-purpose?” Though now he thought on it, maybe it wasn't so entirely strange, as most folks couldn't hear others’ shadows and wouldn't fear them either like they did Kurloz. Nor would they have the resonance between them, most times. Made sense they might be up in their curiosity, might want to get on that closeness with a lover, give trust all full and sweet like that.

“Sure,” Dirk said. “For a lot of reasons, I guess. Intimacy. Kink. Mad snuggles. If everybody’s on the same page, it can be… fun.” He tilted his head, eyebrow lifting archly, and shifted his hand to close flat around his throat, mimicking the grasp of the looping shadow there. Kurloz twisted under his touch, thrummed satisfaction until Dirk shivered.

“Huh,” Gamzee said, still all shook and astonished by Dirk’s chill. “So… ‘s it cool, then? You don't want that I should haul him back? Cuz I motherfucking will, bro, I can if you want it, swear.”

 _Let me guess,_ Hal said, voice not quite even enough to carry his scathing tone, _you want to go cliff-jumping_.

Dirk’s lips quirked up a bit. “Seems fair, bro.” He closed his fingers briefly harder around his throat, let his eyes half-close and wiggled down against Gamzee’s fingers. “Turnabout is fair play and all that.”

Couldn't be at ignoring such a clear request, so Gamzee started moving again as relief ran heady through him, dropped his head and got to work sucking for real as his fingers stroked and rubbed inside. And stopped again with a startled moan as along with Dirk’s eager need and pleasure, an echo of the sensation came back on him, touch all lingering in places as it _wasn't_ on him.

“Holy _fuck_ ,” he gasped, holding real still. That was no kind of thing as he'd heard of or felt before, nothing like when Kurloz had gone and overshadowed folks previous who were crossing lines, sung them full of fear or held them to be hurt until they’d run. This was wholly new and fucking weird.

By the disgruntlement coming through from Kurloz, he hadn't expected it either, and was briefly displeased that his little game was backfiring on his brother. _Motherfucking resonance_ , he grumbled, and then shrugged the matter away with a ripple. Wasn't like it was hurting Gamzee, after all, and Kurloz saw no issue with an increase of pleasure.

 _Except how’m I meant to be blowing his mind when every motherfucking touch I give him goes to me just as quick?_ Gamzee bitched at him.

Kurloz swept out an amused tendril across Gamzee’s wrist, the equivalent of a condescending pat on the head. _Little brother mine, get your focus on. Can't be so easy swayed, whether it's pain or pleasure unexpected. Come the fuck on, pleasure’s easy._

“--Wait, what’s happening?” 

And, oh, that was Dirk coming concerned again, shaking out of that lovely fucking daze of trust to climb back up towards full alert.

Gamzee took a couple breaths and flicked his tongue over Dirk’s dick, jolting a little with the echoed sensation. Fuck, but that was weird, like touching himself but not.

“I can feel that,” he said, all breathing hard as he met Dirk’s eyes.

Dirk blinked back wide-eyed. “You--?” His question broke off into a startled hitch of breath as Gamzee’s fingers curled. Gamzee’s own uneven breath and soft groan came a split second later like an echo of Dirk.

“Oh,” said Dirk after a moment, still wide-eyed and faint with surprise. “...Well aren’t we just a rummage sale of metaphysical shenanigans.” He blinked a few more times, looking lost and flushed and more than a little needy. (Not just looking, Gamzee could feel him, feel the quick pace of his heart and the throb of his dick.) “Should I… did you want to stop?”

“Fuck _no_ ,” Gamzee half-groaned. “But brother, I'm’a be all manner of distraction with this shit, got no notion how much note I can take of your wants over mine.” He hesitated, staring at the flush over Dirk’s cheeks and chest, the blown dark of his pupils as the brother struggled to focus past his body's need. 

“Bro,” Dirk said, before apparently running out of words. One hand came up to touch the curve of Gamzee’s cheekbone, stroke light and fond and reverent.

Hal shifted across his torso, started threading himself free from Kurloz like plucking strings of an instrument. _That’s kind of the point of all this, isn’t it?_ He slid down to arrange himself by Dirk’s hip again, curled close to Gamzee. That dark, featureless face turned towards him on the sheets. _What with the shadow-bondage and all. Taking what you want. Having him how you like. Getting him to give it to you_. 

The pads of Dirk’s fingers twitched against Gamzee’s cheek as a slow shiver worked through him from head to toe. Gamzee sucked in a breath himself, because _damn_ if that wasn't a nice set of thoughts, if a little different than what he'd all been thinking previous.

Kurloz chuckled and crooned his approval, twisting along Dirk’s skin and rippling through his energy until the tension of it slid up another notch and he was breathing short and rapid.

 _See?_ Hal said, all faux-helpful tones again. _He likes it_. _He’ll like whatever you do._

Gamzee hung there undecided a second more, because it was easy enough for Hal to say, but when you were used to knowing for certain sure what a brother liked or didn't, having that covered over with a layer of distraction made the thing… trickier. A little unsettling. Wasn't that he thought he'd slip up bad, but he wanted to be as good to the brother as a body could, and mediocre just wasn't in the motherfucking agenda.

Just have to attend as best he could, he figured, and ducked back to his work. Dirk got loud fast, this time, little choked off sounds and breathing hard, desperation all built up, but the motherfucking issue Gamzee was all at dealing with was that with the touches all brushing back through him, he was _louder_. Couldn't hardly hear Dirk for all the noise coming out his own mouth, every stroke of his tongue feeling like a tease across his own dick, every shift of his fingers like they were ghosting up inside him, which they motherfucking weren't because his wrist would be aching from the angle.

Weird kind of advantage, to be able to touch himself like he normally couldn't, even faint echoes like they were. Not the point as this had been meant to have at all, and he would've been less pleased about it except that all Dirk’s reactions were mixed through with his, just as strong and attention-grabbing.

Dirk. Teeth in his lip, head tipped back on the mattress, brow all furrowed because it felt _good_ , and the brother did have a way of thinking too much about the things that felt nice. Twisty little sparks of pleasure, sweet and mind-wiping every time Gamzee moved his fingers, slid down him with his tongue, and the prickly, velvet rubbed wrong way thrum of Kurloz shifting over his skin, nothing like he felt on Gamzee’s skin, intimate and wrong and kindling heat low in Dirk’s gut. Dirk made little noises and tightened his fingers in Gamzee’s hair, and Gamzee could feel the echo of that coiling texture on his own fingers. Dirk fucking glowed under Gamzee’s hands, nestled into Gamzee’s soul, sweet and eager and all that powerful drive of him ready and available to Gamzee’s touch.

All in all a motherfucking fine set of sensations, and once Gamzee got past the shock of that echoed feeling of every touch, got his feet under him and bit back some of that loud-ass noise, he thought he could even maybe like doing this on the regular. 

Motherfucking power trip, having Dirk like this, feeling him so close and in their hold, all opened up and exposed and like Gamzee could just about swallow him down in pieces and hold onto everything and never let go. This was--okay, right? If Dirk liked it, it was okay, and he did like it, Gamzee could tell, could feel it, kept getting all distracted and turned round by his own feelings, by how much _he_ liked it, but Dirk liked it and he wanted it and so it was okay that Gamzee wanted this so bad it scared him. Right?

... _Were you not given orders, little love-toy?_ Kurloz murmured, smooth and sly with a bare ripple of threat underneath. _Do not be derelict in the execution of your duties. Obey your motherfucking betters--lest you be chastised._

“Uh.” Dirk blinked rapidly, staring at the ceiling, and let out a breath that might have been startlement or a laugh or something more desperate. Hal shifted and Dirk looked to Gamzee. “...’s he for real?”

“Mm?” Gamzee said, then freed his mouth and said, a little breathless, “I mean, he does get his realness and surety on most times, bro. Uh. Which bit did you get doubts on you for?”

Dirk opened his mouth and stopped, staring at Gamzee, stuck wordless and slowly flushing and shivering all through the resonance with a feeling Gamzee didn’t understand, but really, really liked.

Beside Gamzee, Hal laughed, a little bit exhilarated. _He’s just impressed by how good y’all are at this._ He slid a hand up Dirk’s hip, closer to Gamzee, tipped his head on the sheets like leaning in close, murmured low and fond. _Go on, angel, you’re doing great. Whatever you want, remember? He likes it. Don’t you, Dirk?_

Dirk’s eyes were so, so wide. “...Yeah. I like it. Gamzee-- _Kurloz--_ please.”

Fuck if it wasn't a pretty sound, him pleading like that. Gamzee huffed out a rough breath and ducked his head back to what he'd been at.

Kurloz had a rising swell of pleasure and amusement coming off him to be spoken at direct so nice. He flexed, the thin strips of shadow across Dirk’s skin thickening and branching off in coiling tendrils.

 _Better_ , he said in a pleased rumble. _Right and good that you should bow and beg for the mercies we up and grant to you, and yet, sweet little plaything, yet you forget what you're tasked with. Get up in your specifics. Speak in my brother’s ear what it is that pleases you, and how. Sing you paeans of his skill as he works on you._

“Fuck,” Dirk said, breath hitching and catching in the middle of the word. “God, fuck.” He sucked in air, breathed out shaky, fingers moving soft and restless in Gamzee’s hair. “I can--can feel you fucking everywhere, your mouth and your touch and all around me, fuck, like you’re _inside_ me--” He laughed, a little breathless and wild, stomach muscles tensing and teeth digging into his lip as Gamzee curled his fingers to rub against the place that sent sparks shooting through them both. Dirk twisted his shoulders into the sheets, hips twitching abortively.

“Ah-ahh--fuck, can I move? You’re so fucking--please, feels so good. You’re so good. I can’t-- Wanna fuck myself onto your fingers, into your mouth, Gamzee, please.”

Gamzee let out a muffled groan, his own hips rocking against the bed. Hell, why had he been all to thinking it was a good idea to keep his pants on? Motherfucking short-sighted dumbassery. 

He lifted his head to say hoarsely, “Go for it, bro. You sound so fucking good, keep talking to me.”

Dirk went like he’d been let off a leash, heels digging into the bed and hands petting into Gamzee’s hair as he drove himself down onto Gamzee’s working fingers. “Yes, fuck.” Gamzee caught him with his mouth again, slid him heavy along his tongue, and Dirk gasped, hooked a leg over his back, and started babbling out words like his only salvation. 

“Shit, yes, just like that. Let me, let me, please. Fuck, sweetheart, you’re so good, can f-feel your fingers right up in me, your mouth. Feel how good you feel. How bad you want it. So fuckin’ hot. God, just--take me apart.” He gasped, bucking. “Please, you can have whatever you want, you can do whatever you want, use me, take me, fuckin’ wreck me and I’ll beg you for it, you’re perfect. Gonna write you a fuckin’ ode to your mouth, please, fuck.”

Gamzee moaned long and low, ducked to take in as much as he could without choking and hummed his pleasure. _Take me apart_ , holy fuck, it was enough to make a brother's eyes cross, enough to make a body shift and grind with the heat of all those words getting said. Not even mentioning the echo back of the touches he gave Dirk, Dirk’s need and pleasure coming loud through the resonance. All of it together had him winding tight almost in pace with Dirk, wondering at the back of his mind if he might come when Dirk did without need of a further touch. 

Kurloz twisted along over Dirk, pretty fuckin’ patterns across all that bare skin, like shit Gamzee had only dreamed about, and Dirk just gasped and squirmed under it, one hand dropping to follow a coil up over his chest to where it circled over the vulnerable curve of his throat. His dick was hot and hard in Gamzee’s mouth, and it felt good working in and out along his tongue and cheeks, felt good lower down, a slick, phantom heat at Gamzee’s own dick. Dirk was still moving, still choking out desperate little fragments of words, things that made Gamzee’s mind spin and the want coil tighter in his gut. _Take me_ and _need you_ and _more please more._

Kurloz was doing--something--wound all close through the outer reaches of Dirk’s soul, plucking and tugging at the energy, tuning it until his heart beat hard and fast and his breath came rapid with something just on the pleasant side of fear.

 _Tell at him_ , Gamzee said to Kurloz, catching air through his nose on an outthrust, _say he's doing good, so he knows_. He didn't want to stop again, not with the pace picking up as it was, Dirk drawing closer with every breath as Gamzee drove him there with careful attention (and drove himself along with).

Kurloz gave barely a flicker of the exasperation Gamzee would've expected. _Good_ , he purred at Dirk, deep and rumbling like mountains shifting in their beds. _Brave little lovetoy, steadfast in pursuit of your proper obeisance to those you serve. Seek on and be rewarded._

“ _Oh._ ” 

Dirk was twisting and moving and murmuring breathlessly, gasping for air and words both as he rocked down on Gamzee’s fingers, up into his mouth. “--It’s good, it’s good, I like it--” his hands tightened in Gamzee’s hair “--please, I’m going to--” and he was so close, Gamzee could feel it, so close and bright and pulsing on Gamzee’s tongue and Gamzee could feel what the muscles tightening and fluttering in his abdomen felt like from the inside “--Gamzee, I need to, please can I--”

Was all in Gamzee’s head to make him clear on that point, _yeah_ , of course, what else got at being the whole motherfucking idea here? But something held him back, slowed his fingers and the work of his mouth, had him pressing on Dirk’s thigh ‘til he fell to stillness with a desperate whimper. Instinct it might be to ignore and brush aside that little longing thought, that twinge of _what if he'd be willing_ , but… Gamzee’d already had it said at him all clear and certain that he was to-- _not_ ignore.

What if for real and true he could ask and have and Dirk be just as pleased? It was a small enough thing Gamzee was at wanting, surely? But not to even ask, to _demand_ because the brother liked it that way--that took some gathering together of courage. Kurloz, all thrumming with satisfaction over the not-quite-prey in his coils, had little help to offer.

Gamzee raised his head, said husky and rough, “Yeah, brother, come on, then.” He wriggled up to kneel there between Dirk’s thighs, quickened the rhythm of his fingers and brought his other hand up to stroke Dirk off quick and firm. “Like this,” he said, breathless and full of sharp uncertainty, “get you all sticky, make a mess out of you, paint you up like the prettiest motherfucking canvas--”

Dirk gasped, bucked--his eyes were dazed and wide on Gamzee, and that sweet, building heat blazed up like he’d had gasoline taken to it--shuddered and came, jerking into Gamzee’s fist and shivering around his fingers.

Gamzee gave a cracked moan as the echo of it ran through him, the build and crash of pleasure almost enough to drag him over just like that. He scrabbled to get his own dick out of his miserable fucking pants and it only took a couple of strokes before he followed after, arching and blind with it.

Took a deal of breathing, just sitting slumped between Dirk’s knees, before Gamzee had any sort of clarity to his thoughts again. Didn't need clarity to take note that he had well and truly made a mess, and nearly all on Dirk’s skin instead of the sheets. That long body gone slack in pleasure, all sticky and disheveled and coiled round in Kurloz, well marked. Fuck if that wasn't kinda… riveting, even while Gamzee wondered if the brother was really up in his chill at it. Fuck if he didn't wanna just reach out and fingerpaint. But. He'd best check it was good with Dirk first.

Granted, all he was getting through the chimes of resonance was _exhaustion,_ _satisfaction, soft glow of delight_ , but could be Dirk just hadn't yet got his awareness on of just how sticky he was now. Looked so good all sprawled out, pleasure-dazed and messy and calm…

Gamzee swallowed, hauled himself to attend, then couldn't figure out how to broach the motherfucking topic without his fingers doing it first. “Hey,” he said, drawing a fingertip across Dirk’s abdomen, spreading one sticky spot out to reach the next. 

Dirk blinked up at him like a sleepy cat, made an encouraging noise.

“Um, this all good by you, bro?” Gamzee traced another shape, explanatory.

“Perfect,” the brother sighed on a breath, still blinking lazy and satisfied. “You’re fucking perfect.”

Gamzee let out his breath and smiled, all manner of shy and pleased. “Yeah, well, you're up in your own perfection pretty solid yourself,” he said, and shifted around to flop down beside Dirk and draw fingers across Dirk’s belly, side to side and in little spirals and streaks and dots, following Kurloz’s curves. It satisfied somehow, sated some hunger as he'd never properly noticed before. Made no sense as he could point to, and yet it did motherfucking please.

“You all bright in your beauty,” he murmured, kissing Dirk’s shoulder, “letting me up and lay hands on you like I could ever deserve such a wonder. Fuck, bro, just look at you.”

That earned him another shiver, and a shy, secretive slice of smile. “Told you I was art. ‘Cept… Pollock maybe instead of Picasso.”

 _Rorschach blot,_ Hal murmured, and Gamzee startled to hear him speak again after so long silent. _Very Freudian._

He shot Hal a smile where he lay on the sheets, thin and careful between Gamzee and the encircling swathe of Kurloz that wasn’t coiled around Dirk. “Could be, except I’d have to fold him in half for that and I’m all lacking the vigor just now. Guess it’s gotta be Pollock.”

“Don’t compromise on your art, bro,” Dirk murmured sleepily.

“Well, yeah,” Gamzee allowed, nestling closer, “but see, if I fold you in half it'll be to have my way with you like that, and then I get more paint, and I'd motherfucking hate to flood a nice canvas like this. Gotta keep control over your fucking colors, otherwise you get an outright riot sitting on your easel.” He felt the echo on his own skin as he drew a line of sticky dashes up Dirk’s chest, illustrating--something. The control he had on over his palette, maybe.

“Mm, yeah,” Dirk said, tucking a leg through Gamzee’s and burying his face in his hair. “Fuck me up.”

 _Wow, he is *blitzed,*_ Hal commented, sneaking a shadow hand up past Gamzee to mock-poke at Dirk’s head. _Good job._ Motherfuckin’… wild how Gamzee could still feel Hal’s touch, on both sides, like from inside Dirk and the prickle buzz in his own skin of a shadow brushing near.

Brushing near, but not touching. Gamzee blinked to realize it, how with Kurloz making free all over Dirk, Hal hadn't made any kind of move at trying the same at Gamzee. For lack of interest, or just as he hadn’t thought on it yet, Gamzee couldn’t say.

Could make at finding out, though. He glanced at Hal’s arm passing so close to his shoulder and grinned.

“Hey, Starfield, wanna get at giving me a shirt or some such? Dirk’s got all vines and shit, but I know you stick more solid.”

Kurloz shifted, rippling across Dirk’s skin, low unease hid beneath a quiet flex and roll of threat. No chance that Hal would offer true threat to Gamzee, they both knew full clear, and yet instinct did urge at caution, not to bare oneself so vulnerable. Gamzee ignored it. Kurloz held his peace, so far.

Hal had gone-- very still, very quiet. Reactions not hiding, precisely--fuck knew if he could even do that right now, what with Kurloz wound all up and about his brother --but hard to read, emotions a complicated, frozen tangle.

Dirk lifted his head, shifted to consider Gamzee’s face, a little more alert. “You sure? He doesn’t—you don’t have to.”

 _We’re used to it,_ Hal added.

Dirk tensed, muted distress flickering through the resonance, and Hal, for a rarity, spoke like to soothe him.

_It’s fine. We are a migraine-inducing amount of excellence and that’s okay._

Gamzee blinked, taken all aback. Truth to tell, he'd forgotten that hang-up Hal had, thought it'd already been well proven it didn't apply to Gamzee--not in any of the usual ways, anyhow. Hal’s jangle and static didn't trouble him like it did other folk. Could be with Hal overshadowing him it'd be different, but Gamzee couldn't rightly get any concern on over that, not when he was busy shoving fear down so hard it was like it didn't exist anymore. Motherfucking foolishness to fear so sweet a pair of brothers, no matter the harsh work they could do on a body once overshadowed, if they had the inclination up on them. They didn't, wouldn't. Were all edging into their conviction once more that he'd flinch from their strangeness now, when they'd stood easy with all his.

That he would not abide. Straight up cruelty to let them think so.

“Why the motherfuck would I get on my offer of shit I had no intent to follow through on?” he said, frowning all mild at Dirk. “Yeah, I'm sure, bro. Lay it on me,” he added to Hal.

Hal hesitated a moment longer, a soft buzz of presence so close, a tangle of yearning and fear and affection. _You don’t have to,_ he said one more time, before a shadow hand shifted just slightly and brushed up onto Gamzee’s shoulder, near the last letter of his tattoo. 

It felt like… it felt…

Dirk drew in a shivery breath, eyes wide and dark on Gamzee where he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Hal’s touch, small as it was, radiated out across Gamzee’s skin--across something more private than skin--like molten light. It felt a little like that first overwhelming intimacy of the resonance, fingers brushing across his soul, reaching in, plucking and pulling.

There and then gone as Hal withdrew abruptly.

“You’re scared of this,” Dirk said, accusation.

Caught off guard, Gamzee blinked wordless a minute. Well, fuck, of _course_ they'd notice quick enough with the resonance all up and amplified like this.

He let a breath out, shrugged, fingers doodling all awkward on Dirk’s ribs as Gamzee dropped his gaze. “...Yeah,” he admitted, reluctant, “but ain't nothing on your account, brother. ‘S just… a thing. A dumb motherfucking thing, to get on fear and caution with _you_ , so I just figured, like… that thing we tried with the whole resonance deal? The, what the fuck, exposure therapy! Figured just, do that some and teach my dumb ass you're safe like I _know_ you're all to being.” It came out kind of huffy, peeved over his hindbrain’s stupidity, and he shrugged again, glanced up at Dirk all apologetic.

Not only was it dumb, being scared like this, he felt bad about it too, cuz it wasn't like Dirk and Hal fucking deserved that fear pointed at them. The opposite, and then some.

Dirk frowned at him, still all sticky and mussed and bound up in Kurloz. Looked distressed in a way that made Gamzee’s gut swoop with misery, seemed to be struggling to put words together.

 _Look, just…_ Hal started, tense and tired and almost angry sounding. _That’s… nice and all, but I’m not looking for any favors and I meant it when I said you don’t need to be doing things you don’t want to._ The tangled snarl of his emotions tightened, then almost tangibly softened. _I get the feel I’m kind of harshing the afterglow here. You guys should… worry about this later or something. I’m fine._ Little hesitation. _...We like how you feel when you’re happy, angel._

Gamzee’s lips parted. He ducked to press a kiss to Dirk’s shoulder, a warm little glow lighting up inside him at the tenderness of that. Made no difference to his determination, just dug it in further, but it made it easier to stay chill and mean it when he smiled.

“So take note as I'm happy now, bro. No harshing, no trouble, just…” he paused, picked his words. “Just me looking for a little help,” he said softly. “I wanna… be able to get all skin-close, shadow-close like this, and not up and fear those I hold most dear. No motherfucking favor to _you_ , Starfield, the request runs the other way. You got that?”

Hal’s outline trembled on the sheets. ... _Oh._

Dirk stretched a little where he lay, reached up to touch Gamzee’s temple, trace his cheekbone. His face was serious, intense. “Whatever you want. Still all yours, bro.” 

Gamzee leaned into the touch, warm and pleased around the nerves. He smiled from Dirk to Hal and slid a hand in offering toward the border of shadow where Hal lay. Hal hesitated, a little pause just long enough for the possibility of rejection to start nibbling in on Gamzee--he’d messed it up, he’d pushed too hard unwanted, he’d-- 

Hal surged forward, shadow fingers just brushing over the backs of Gamzee’s own, and the line of thought evaporated. That touch slid under Gamzee’s skin again sunflare bright and slipped across his insides, laying him bare and defenseless, breath caught up in his throat. The moment hung there, suspended frozen between them.

 _Is this okay?_ Hal asked, and he was-- a tingle on Gamzee’s skin and a blaze across his soul, but also-- that intensity of focus and drive fixed all on Gamzee, concern and uncertainty and a nearly possessive affection that curled around him with that same light, careful touch that Dirk got with his most intricate and pricey of circuit boards. All delicate care, not tearing and ravening and overwhelming but the gentlest exploration.

Kurloz bristled in silence, a familiar comfort, threat leashed but held in readiness. He liked the shoe being on the other foot not at all, liked this equality of vulnerability not a bit, yet for Gamzee, for what Gamzee had want for, he'd abide--at least until a true threat showed. And Gamzee did want. This terrifying closeness, to hold and be held. He breathed in deep and deliberate, pushing his heartbeat slower, the instinctive panic subsiding with it, ebbing away. Only a low thread of anxiety remained, speaking at concern for what Dirk might think with this deeper view, all Gamzee’s flaws and motherfucking foibles lit up on display ten times starker than resonance alone.

“Yeah,” he said to Hal, only a little belated. “Yeah, bro, ‘s all good.”

That warm, light touch of affection glowed cautiously brighter, little skipping sparks of happiness not his brushing through him, there and then gone again like a secret. Dirk looked up at him from the futon with eyes like, like. Like he was seeing something he hadn’t ever been at seeing before. With an intensity that might scare, for how deep it saw, but Gamzee couldn’t even hold onto his worry proper with him glowing all warm and bright like Hal, awed and careful. 

Kurloz shifted across Dirk, coiled one possessive tendril around Gamzee's arm, like there was any danger of it being forgot that Gamzee was his first and foremost. He was easing back too at the absence of danger, letting go the eerie prickle and shiver in the air.

 _Good_ , Kurloz said, low and satisfied. _Be you gentle with my precious brother. Hold him feather-light, like the finest motherfucking porcelain, lest he crack and shatter and cut you to bleeding. For then you would bleed indeed._

“Motherfucker,” Gamzee complained, cheeks getting on their heat and flush. “Don't be all at killing the fucking mood.” He was _not_ that delicate.

 _Aww, I think it’s sweet,_ Hal said, and there was a flicker of his teasing confidence surging back, slipping along Gamzee’s insides like velvet. He slid a shadow hand along Gamzee’s skin in counterpoint, a second buzz of sensation. _Are you worried about us, Curls?_

 _Wholly though you'd enjoy your destruction at my hand,_ Kurloz said peaceably, _it seems a waste to bring it on in haste and all motherfucking accidental, for lack of proper handling of my little brother._

 _Hm,_ Hal said, as Gamzee huffed. The shadow-brother’s warm glow didn’t feel intimidated much. If anything, there was a tension unwinding from him, a calm settling into that careful hold of affection all around Gamzee’s core. _Guess we’ll just have to keep our handling proper._ His tone turned lighter, flippant even as the glow of him radiated sincere, sincere, sincere. _Treat him like he’s made of gold_.

“I think we can manage that,” Dirk said, equally soft. 

Gamzee blinked, struck and shaken by the tenderness of that. He nosed into Dirk’s hair, nuzzling closer. Dirk sucked in a breath. “No gold nor porcelain, me, just motherfucking clay like all things,” Gamzee murmured.

Dirk breathed out shakily and nuzzled back into Gamzee. “Oh, that’s…” He lifted a hand and ran it tentatively down the planes of Gamzee’s chest. His gaze turned inwards. “That does feel...” He blinked a few times, then gave Gamzee an utterly bewildered look, a breath of nervous laughter startling out of him. “Ha, fuck. I can feel that.”

“Hahaha, fucking weird, right?” Gamzee said, grinning. He'd just about gotten used to the little echo back of every touch he gave Dirk, every sensation the brother felt. It was subtle right now, just a ghost touch in his own hair, the warmth of breath as wasn't there, and under that a languid post-coital satiation that matched his own, blending into it to be near invisible.

Dirk made a little affirmative noise, eyes watching his hand as it tracked lightly over Gamzee’s skin, back and forth and in patterns. Made a near mirror of what Gamzee had been up to earlier.

“Next time we gotta get all overshadowed up, the both of us, _before_ we get up to the good shit,” Gamzee murmured into Dirk’s hair. “Fuck, wouldn't that be a good motherfucking time.”

Dirk blinked at him, wide-eyed, looked back at his hand, and then flushed red all the way past his shoulders. 

_Fun,_ Hal said, and didn’t quite manage to sound facetious. _But ideally no mothers would be involved._

“What?” Dirk said, sounding confused and aggrieved.

Gamzee snorted, sliding a crooked grin Hal’s way, and Hal--beamed wasn’t ever the right word, not for a shadow, but he sort of lit through from the inside, affection and nerves and sudden wild happiness that Gamzee could feel all the way down to his toes. He slid round, repositioning on the futon to slide up Gamzee’s back, a careful embrace. _You should fuck us instead._

Gamzee caught his breath as the touch all bright and hot on his soul spread a little broader and deeper yet. He shivered and relaxed back into it slow and careful, like stepping into hot water and adjusting to the pleasurable shock of it.

“I'd planned on it,” he said, and it came out breathless. Hal’s fingers were tracing the inked script on his back, an almost soothing thrum of not-quite-physical sensation. “Ain't got a mother to get in on it if I wanted, which, uh, I don't. Not my kink, bro, no motherfu--uh--no parents in the fucking bedroom. New rule.”

“Approved,” Dirk said, burying his head in Gamzee’s collarbone. “And no brothers either. Excepting the non-familial kind.” He paused. “Uh, you don’t actually have resonance with Dave, right? You would know, right? I mean it’s got to have--come up by now if it’s going to. Right?”

Gamzee blinked, caught off guard. For a moment he couldn't think if he'd ever actually touched skin with the brother, and then he remembered and smiled relief. “Nah, bro, we've been to bumping fists at meeting, rare though it be. He hangs out with Karkat, we're chill. No motherfucking resonance in attendance.”

 _That was smooth like a cucumber in a well-greased bathtub,_ Hal told Dirk. His shadow fingers traced fondly across Gamzee’s side, and Gamzee thought it was adorable that it matched Dirk’s fingers, still absently petting Gamzee’s chest.

Dirk made no retort, just sighed out and settled deeper against Gamzee. The feel of him was already relaxing, fading back to that hazy, sleepy satisfaction. Silence set in for a peaceful little space.

Smiling, Gamzee drifted an absent touch down Dirk's side, through the bands of shadow Kurloz had there, and trailed fingers up over his abdomen, where all the sticky patterns Gamzee had left were near dried. A ticklish echo came back on him like his fingertips were on his own skin, shivery and half-there.

Dirk made a muffled noise of distaste, but didn’t rouse from where he was cuddled sleepily in against Gamzee. “Ew.”

 _You are sticky and disgusting,_ Hal told him cheerfully and Dirk frowned into Gamzee’s shoulder. He took the hand away from Gamzee’s chest (aw, no) and slid it down to join Gamzee’s on his stomach. Kurloz wound a ribbon of shadow across both their hands, smug and possessive.

“I think you’ve lacquered me,” Dirk said in indistinct complaint. “I’m fuckin’... glazed.”

“Like beautiful motherfucking pottery,” Gamzee said with satisfaction. “All painted up gorgeous.”

“Stick me in an oven and call me done,” Dirk muttered.

 _Maybe you’re a donut,_ Hal said. _Those are glazed. Although usually not with--_

“ _Please_ stop talking now.” Dirk lifted his head and blinked fuzzily at Gamzee. “I need a shower.”

Gamzee gave him big sad eyes. “Bro, you're gonna up and wash my greatest masterpiece away?”

“Art thrives in adversity. You’ll just have to make a better one later.”

“Hmm.” Gamzee leaned in to kiss him, then grinned. “Figure I can up and make that happen,” he agreed.

“Mmn.” Dirk pushed himself up, reluctantly assuming something more like wakefulness. He frowned down at himself. “There is _jizz_ in my fuckin’ _bellybutton_.” He turned the frown back on Gamzee, but it didn’t rightly feel mad, not in any way that put worry in Gamzee. Just exasperated and still glowing warm, warm bright with fondness and amazement underneath. “I hold you responsible for this.”

“Just like you should,” Gamzee said, nodding amiably as he sat up by Dirk. “Credit the motherfucking artist, bro. My work, my motherfucking glory.”

“Put your signature on it next time,” Dirk said. “And also come shower with me. You make the mess, you clean it up.”

Gamzee leaned in and nuzzled at his jaw, still grinning. “Don't know, bro,” he breathed, “I get my hands on that fine canvas of yours, I might be more inclined to make another mess. Set my mark on you all over again.”

Dirk hummed a tired, pleased note, tilting his head back, making that soft stretch of vulnerable skin available to Gamzee’s mouth. “Mm. Good luck with that. I’m about to fall asleep on my feet. Or. Sitting. On a futon. With semen and some kind of hentai shadow tentacle-bondage all over me.”

Kurloz’s coils rippled and shifted, amused and in no way showing interest in moving aside. Gamzee could hardly be to blaming him when he had as little desire himself to stop touching Dirk. Nor had Hal yet moved off Gamzee.

Righteous reluctance all around, it seemed.

Gamzee sighed and heaved himself to the edge of the futon and onto his feet. The resonance barely backed off at all when he broke skin contact, overshadowed as they both still were. Mighty curious to feel the echo of futon under his thighs when he was standing clear and kicking his jeans and boxers all the way off.

He turned and offered out a hand and a smile. “All right, bro, let's get your pretty painted self all bare and pristine again. Can't paint on a used canvas.”

“Your bukkake fixation has been noted,” Dirk said dryly, even as he let himself be pulled up warm against Gamzee, Kurloz coiling around both of them. Hal snickered and snuggled closer along Gamzee’s back, dodging the bits Kurloz had claimed, hands brushing warm static across Gamzee’s skin as they slipped around his waist.

Gamzee was going to argue that it wasn't bukkake he was fixed on, being as a dick made a poor motherfucking paintbrush, but Dirk was standing naked in front of him all tousled and smiling, still radiating warmth and affection, and the words went wandering off without notice. “Hey,” he murmured instead, staring into those honey-gold eyes, astounded all anew. “Aren't you just a beautiful motherfucking sight.”

Dirk blinked at him, caught wordless even as something equally startled and powerful swept out from him through the resonance, silent soundwaves. Then he turned away, tugging Gamzee after him by the wrist. “I’m a beautiful motherfucking sight that needs a shower is what I am.”

Breath catching on a laugh, Gamzee followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hal voice: You’re a mess of organic fluids is what you are. You’re a jizzaster.


End file.
